Neonatal Jaundice
Neonatal Jaundice is a common condition that more than half of all newborns get. Within the first week or 2 of life you might notice that your baby’s skin looks yellowish, and the whites of their little eyes look slightly yellowish, too. In just a couple of weeks, that should have all cleared up.
Jaundice is caused by the breakdown of red blood cells. In mature individuals, the liver can flush the bilirubin out quickly. Biliruben is that yellow colored stuff in the bloodstream that you see in your baby’s skin when they are jaundiced.
Unless your baby is very ill, jaundice is usually nothing to worry about. If you want to help your baby get rid of his or her normal jaundice more quickly, you can hold your baby while sitting in the sunlight (be sure to protect their eyes and not leave them there for more than just a few minutes at a time –you don’t want them getting burned!) and make sure your baby is getting enough breastmilk.
Breastfeeding your baby frequently and exclusively and not giving baby a lot of extra water will help resolve jaundice because jaundice is often perpetuated by hunger. When the baby is hungry, the intestines tend to reabsorb bilirubin faster. You want the bilirubin to get flushed out, not reabsorbed.
If you have medical concerns about your baby’s jaundice, talk to your doctor.
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