Hi friends!  All of us know about the maternity blues (baby blues), a peculiar state of mind in the post-natal phase. I deliberately chose this title for what I want to convey. The situation of each individual varies. Let’s discuss one thing at a time.

Neonatal jaundice-

Your antenatal period of 9 months was quite uneventful. You could continue working for most of your pregnancy and everything was perfect. Even the delivery was uneventful and whoa! You are a mother now, mother to the most adorable baby on Earth. For two days all goes well, and the two of you are getting adjusted to each other. You are learning to breastfeed the baby. Although it is pretty tiring at times you are determined to do it every single time. It is the symptom of baby blues. On the third day, you notice that the baby is a bit drowsy and looks yellow, your mother notices it too. Both of you desperately wait for the daily round of the pediatrician with a worried look.

As soon as she examines the baby, she orders a blood test and now you wait for the report. Praying it turns out to be normal. But a resident doctor comes with the report. She tells you that the baby has jaundice and needs to be shifted to neonatal care. That is the last straw and you burst out crying. After all from what you have read or heard earlier. Jaundice is somehow related to the liver and is pretty serious. You have all sorts of bad thoughts in your mind and no amount of consolation pacifies you. Later on, you will find that your fears were unfounded and it’s quite a common condition.

What is neonatal jaundice?

Jaundice or yellow discoloration of eyes, skin, etc. can be seen in the neonatal period. Within a week of birth and it is a very common condition.

Why does it occur?

The hemoglobin of the fetus is very high after birth. The fetal Red Blood Cells (RBC) get destroyed to adapt to the new environment. These RBCs break down to form bilirubin, since the neonatal liver is not mature yet, it results in jaundice.

Is it serious? What is the treatment?

No, it isn’t serious if detected and treated in time. 

The treatment depends on the Bilirubin levels. If the levels are below 10mg/dl, no need to worry, feed the baby properly, and avoid dehydration. Keep the baby in the morning sunlight without clothes for 15-20 minutes with eyes and genitals covered. If the bilirubin is high, the treatment is phototherapy. Baby is kept in a special unit fitted with fluorescent blue lights. Which converts bilirubin into a soluble compound that can be excreted through the baby’s urine and stools. You can breastfeed the baby by taking it out of the cradle. 

How long will the baby require phototherapy?

It depends on the level of Bilirubin and how fast it lowers down. It may take a day or two.

Remember the baby is kept without clothes with its eyes and genitals covered. So it wails for quite some time initially but that’s okay. You shouldn’t worry about it because more time is spent in the unit. The faster will be the rate of fall of bilirubin. Within two days you get the baby back by your side. And it is a sort of great reunion for the entire family.

Hope my young friends will feel more confident and less stressed when they face a similar situation.

Dr. Manisha Shembekar
MD, DA
Joint Managing Director
Omega Hospital, Nagpur