Almost all the children in the first days of their lives acquire a yellow tint. This phenomenon is commonly called the physiological jaundice in newborns. What this is and how it relates - we will tell below.
The causes of the appearance of physiological jaundice of newborns
A little man who recently left his mother's womb has not yet established a full-fledged work of all organs, because they are just beginning to work independently. As you know, there are erythrocytes (red blood cells) in the human blood that are responsible for supplying the body with oxygen. The life of red blood cells lasts no longer than 120 days, after which they are destroyed. From the destroyed erythrocyte comes out a poisonous substance - bilirubin, which gives the skin a yellow tint.
In order to neutralize and neutralize the effect of bilirubin in "work", the liver turns on. If the liver is healthy and fully functioning, it will successfully cope with the clearance of bilirubin, which will soon pass through the gallbladder, then the duodenal kick and will leave the body through the intestine. If somewhere in his way there will be an obstacle in the form of unhealthy organs, then automatically the blood level of a person will increase the level of bilirubin, and the skin and mucous eye will turn yellow. So most often happens with newborns, in their blood a large amount of bilirubin, with which the liver does not have time to cope.
Jaundice in newborns is not a disease, you can call it a state of the body in the period of adaptation to life outside the mother's tummy.
Treatment of physiological jaundice of newborns
Parents are concerned about the questions: "When does physiological jaundice appear and how long?" It appears, as a rule, on the third day of life. And lasts about a week for full-term children, and two weeks for premature babies. After that, it passes without leaving a trace. Physiological jaundice - a normal phenomenon, because of which you should not panic. It is only necessary to monitor her character.
Sometimes doctors prescribe light or phototherapy procedures to their small patients. The child "sunbaths" under a special lamp that turns bilirubin into a substance that rapidly exits with feces and urine. Very often in children with such treatment the skin is flaky and drowsiness is observed, but this happens almost immediately after the cessation of the course. An effective means for combating yellow matter is indirect sunlight. In this case, it is not necessary to carry a small child to the procedures in the polyclinic, it is enough to lie down several times a day under diffused sunlight. And you can do this not only on the street, but at home, through the window panes.
Also, in addition to light therapy, drugs are prescribed that protect the liver and help it to function faster and process bilirubin. Most often, it is Ursofalk or Hofitol . But they can not be "appointed" independently! Choose what exactly your child needs and in what dosage can only the doctor!
Bilirubin comes out of the body along with the feces of the baby. Therefore, we think it is not necessary to give you a lecture on the need for breastfeeding. Frequent feeding of a child naturally leads to the same frequent emptying of the intestine. And this contributes to a faster excretion of bilirubin. Consult a pediatrician if the baby is drowsy, then let him help you choose the optimal feeding schedule, following which you will awaken the baby if he sleeps when you need to eat. Well, later, your karapuz himself will show you when and how many times he wants to eat.