It is usually a special case, but you don't have to report a big problem when a baby turns to have a yellow skin tone. Many babies are already born with this effect and even others after several days have a much higher pitch. We will focus on analyzing why babies turn yellow and what to do about it
This skin tone is often referred to as physiological jaundice and does not usually report any problem because it usually disappears after several weeks. It is a fact that does not go unnoticed and the specialist will respond with an assessment and the best possible treatment.
why do babies turn yellow
There are several cases in which babies have a yellowish tint to the skin. In most babies it occurs when they are born and due to a high concentration of blood cells or red blood cells.
In order to remove them you need a high concentration of bilirubin and makes it the cause of producing this tonality. The yellow pigment will be processed by the liver and will be eliminated through urine and feces, but sometimes this process is expensive. Many of the premature babies cannot process this degradation, so they present low bilirubin levels.
In other cases, there are babies who take time to expel meconium during the first 24 to 48 hours of life. In this case, the bilirubin returns to the blood circulation, increasing the risk of jaundice.
In almost all these facts, this problem It is usually solved thanks to breastfeeding. But it also happens that the baby is not feeding correctly during the first days and present the case of jaundice. Two types of jaundice can occur in newborns who are breastfed:
- The presence of jaundice in breastfed babies during their first week of life. But this case is usually presented as we have mentioned previous lines. Most likely it is because breast milk is not enough or is scarce.
- The other type of jaundice is when the baby is breastfeeding and appears after 7 days of life and peaking in their second to third week of life. This case occurs because substances in breast milk affect the breakdown of bilirubin in the liver.
When should the baby be taken to the doctor?
In this case and in the presence of a yellowish tone in the skin, always consult the doctor or pediatrician. In these cases, the baby is usually allowed to metabolize its system naturally, but in other cases we observe that its tone worsens.
- If it has a lot of color brighter and even more intense.
- If after a medical review and even more than 2 weeks have elapsed.
- When the soles of the feet also turn a yellow hue.
How to treat jaundice?
jaundice in newborn babies It usually disappears after several weeks. The best solution is through your diet. Her body will eliminate excess bilirubin naturally. If milk cannot be given through the breast, formula milk will be recommended.
It's advisable expose the baby to sunlight, but not directly so as not to cause burns. The light will help you to break down the bilirubin much better and thus be able to expel it through the urine.
In much more serious cases, it will be applied phototherapy sessions. This treatment consists of exposing the baby under special lamps that will make the bilirubin degrade much better.
“The Exchange Transfusion” is another procedure used in an emergency. When the baby is not able to return to your shade because nothing is working, a blood transfusion to quickly lower the concentration of bilirubin.
Another treatment that is used in a special case is “intravenous immunoglobulin”. It consists of a therapeutic procedure for patients with antibody deficiencies. This case occurs when there are many antibodies that attack the red blood cells when they witness an incompatible blood group.