Jaundice is fairly common in newborns. Basically it comes from them having difficulty breaking down red cells and a substance called bilirubin. There are several causes, but usually jaundice is mild and doesn't require any invasive treatment. They may keep the baby under a special light because sunlight helps break down the bilirubin so the baby's liver can process it, and they may have the baby drink extra water or milk to stay hydrated. Sometimes this will cause a longer stay in the hospital, but often jaundice is mild and the baby can go home with a little extra monitoring by the pediatrician.
We have a page on newborn jaundice, https://www.empowher.com/media/reference/newborn-jaundice and the National Institutes of Health is a good resource for more information: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001559.htm
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Hi Khanmuscat-
Congratulations!
Jaundice is fairly common in newborns. Basically it comes from them having difficulty breaking down red cells and a substance called bilirubin. There are several causes, but usually jaundice is mild and doesn't require any invasive treatment. They may keep the baby under a special light because sunlight helps break down the bilirubin so the baby's liver can process it, and they may have the baby drink extra water or milk to stay hydrated. Sometimes this will cause a longer stay in the hospital, but often jaundice is mild and the baby can go home with a little extra monitoring by the pediatrician.
We have a page on newborn jaundice, https://www.empowher.com/media/reference/newborn-jaundice and the National Institutes of Health is a good resource for more information: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001559.htm
Congrats again on being a dad!
April 20, 2010 - 5:54amThis Comment
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