![]() ![]() The baby's skin surface is exposed to special blue light, which breaks bilirubin into compounds that are easier to eliminate in stool and urine. In most cases, phototherapy is the only treatment required and is successful for almost all babies. ![]() The treatment focuses on frequent feeding (supporting breastfeeding or supplementing with formula or donor breast milk) and phototherapy ("light" therapy) which is the most common medical treatment for hyperbilirubinemia in babies. Babies with mild hyperbilirubinemia may need no treatment at all. The aim of treating jaundice is to safely reduce the level of bilirubin. Fortunately, safe and effective treatments are available. If this happens, it can cause damage to the nervous system, potentially causing brain damage. The presence of jaundice allows doctors to identify babies who are at risk of developing severe hyperbilirubinemia. In some babies serious medical conditions can occur if hyperbilirubinemia is not treated. Jaundice is not painful and is usually not harmful.Ī yellow colour can be seen on the skin of babies with higher than normal blood levels of bilirubin, a condition called "hyperbilirubinemia," when bilirubin builds up in the skin however in babies with darker skin, jaundice may not be visible even if they have high blood bilirubin levels. One reason that bilirubin levels are higher in babies in particular is that more red blood cells are broken down in babies bodies (and as a result, more bilirubin is produced). It is not a disease, but rather a sign of an elevated blood bilirubin level.īilirubin is a substance naturally present in the body. Newborn jaundice affects nearly all babies but is most common in premature babies, those born before 38 weeks. Jaundice is the medical term for a yellowish tinge of the skin.
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