This is an automatically translated article.
Newborn yellow eyes and skin is a common phenomenon, not only in premature babies but also in full-term babies. So what's wrong with babies with yellow skin and eyes, what to do when they see babies with yellow eyes?
1. Find out the phenomenon of newborn babies with yellow eyes, jaundice
Newborns have jaundice is a condition where the conjunctiva or whites of the eyes are yellow. This is a common manifestation in most premature and full-term babies. This symptom appears in the first month after birth, especially the first 2 weeks, and is a manifestation of jaundice (physiological or pathological).
Infants with yellow eyes and skin can be recognized by the naked eye if the light is enough. Some babies have slightly darker or pinkish skin that can be harder to spot, so it can be checked by gently pressing your baby's skin with your thumb for a few seconds and then releasing it. If the child has jaundice, the skin that has just been pressed will be yellow.
In addition to jaundice, yellow eyes, children may also have jaundice on the palms, soles of the feet, dark urine, pale stools.
2. The reason why babies have yellow eyes
Newborns have yellow eyes because bilirubin levels are higher than normal. For adults and children (age toddlers and older), bilirubin is processed by the liver and eliminated through the intestines. However, for newborns, the internal organs of the body are continuing to develop, including the liver, so the baby's body can't excrete bilirubin yet, bilirubin is stagnant in the liver, bile and causes jaundice. , eye.
The risk of a newborn developing yellow eyes is higher in the following situations:
Premature babies, before 37 weeks; The infant is not receiving adequate breast milk or other milk sources; Newborns and mothers have incompatible blood types, when antibodies build up inside the baby's body, it will destroy red blood cells, causing a sudden increase in bilirubin. In addition, newborn babies with jaundice, jaundice can also be caused by the following risk factors:
Children with blood infections; Children with liver and biliary diseases such as hepatitis (transmitted from the mother); Children with enzyme deficiency syndrome; The baby had internal bleeding or bruising at birth.
Sinh non trước 37 tuần là một trong các nguy cơ khiến trẻ sơ sinh bị vàng mắt
3. What's wrong with newborn babies with yellow skin and eyes?
Usually, about the first 2-3 days after birth, babies will have signs of yellow eyes, jaundice and gradually decrease in the first 2 weeks of age without treatment. However, if it is pathological jaundice, which is a sign of an illness, the baby will develop jaundice earlier, within the first 24 hours after birth. How to recognize pathological jaundice is as follows:
Jaundice is darker in color; Full-term infants do not stop jaundice after 1 week, and premature babies do not stop jaundice after 2 weeks; Newborns have yellow eyes , jaundice all over the body, especially the palms and soles; The baby is lethargic, sluggish, refuses to feed or sucks poorly, cries, and may even have a convulsion. .. Pathological jaundice, if not recognized and treated promptly, can lead to dangerous complications such as jaundice of the brain nucleus, acute encephalitis, due to bilirubin stagnation in the body, seeping into the brain indirectly. The end result is neurotoxicity and can lead to death or permanent brain damage such as cerebral palsy.
4. Newborn with yellow eyes what to do?
In the hospital, after birth, the baby will be regularly examined in the first 3 days for check-ups. Also during this time, if parents and caregivers recognize that their child has jaundice earlier, they should immediately notify the doctor.
As mentioned above, the majority of newborn cases with yellow eyes and skin is a normal physiological phenomenon of the body and does not require treatment. However, children still need to be closely monitored to promptly detect abnormal signs. Even after being discharged from the hospital, if you find that your child has jaundice or the level of jaundice or yellowing of the eyes becomes more severe, such as a baby who refuses to breastfeed, you should immediately contact a doctor.
If the newborn has yellow eyes and skin after 2 weeks and it has not gone away, the doctor may order urine and blood chemistry tests to check bilirubin levels as well as other disorders in the body if any. Normally, newborns with physiological jaundice if they are breastfed or fully formula milk, gain weight steadily, they will go away on their own.
Currently, the treatment of neonatal jaundice is mainly to provide enough water and nutrients through breastfeeding or infusion to speed up the metabolism and elimination of bilirubin, and at the same time the child is exposed to light. . In case the child shows signs of suspected neurotoxicity, a blood transfusion will be changed.
There is a lot of advice that sunbathing can help reduce the condition of babies with yellow eyes and skin. However, there are not many scientific studies to prove this remedy and it only helps children with mild jaundice.
Trẻ sơ sinh bị vàng mắt sẽ được chiếu đèn giúp cải thiện tình trạng bệnh
5. How to prevent babies from having yellow eyes and skin?
One of the causes of yellow eyes and skin in newborns is because the baby has liver problems such as hepatitis A, B or C. So, as soon as planning a pregnancy, parents need to have their health checked. If you are healthy, if you do not have hepatitis or do not carry the disease, you need to be vaccinated against hepatitis to ensure a safe pregnancy.
In case the mother has not been vaccinated but is found to have hepatitis B during pregnancy, the mother needs to consult a doctor to know how to handle it. Babies are at high risk of hepatitis due to mother-to-child transmission and have jaundice in the newborn's eyes and skin if the pregnant mother has hepatitis B in the last 3 months of pregnancy. Therefore, after birth, it is necessary to have tests to check if the baby has hepatitis. If the child does not have neonatal hepatitis, the hepatitis B vaccine will be vaccinated with the following schedule:
1st dose 1: 24 hours after birth; Nose 2: 1 month away from 1st shot; Nose 3: When the child is 2 months old. In case the baby has neonatal hepatitis, it is necessary to treat and periodically re-examine in the first 6 months after birth.
Newborns have yellow eyes, skin is a normal physiological phenomenon of the body. However, it can also be pathological jaundice that needs to be monitored and recognized for timely treatment, to avoid causing serious complications to the health and life of the child. Therefore, if you notice that the child has yellow skin, eyes that do not heal for a long time or have other unusual symptoms, parents should take their child to a medical facility for examination and treatment.
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