Phototherapy
Often, physiologic jaundice -- the type seen in most newborns -- does not require aggressive treatment. It will typically disappear in a few days with frequent feedings and exposure to indirect sunlight at home. Doctors may test the baby 's bilirubin levels during that time to make sure it has not gotten worse. Definition. Infant jaundice is a yellow discoloration in a newborn baby's skin and eyes. Infant jaundice occurs because the baby's blood contains an excess of bilirubin (bil-ih-ROO-bin), a yellow-colored pigment of red blood cells. In cases where pre-hepatic jaundice has been caused by an infection, such as malaria, medication to treat the underlying infection is usually recommended. For genetic blood disorders, such as sickle cell anaemia or thalassaemia, blood transfusions may be required to replace the red blood cells. Jaundice is a yellowish discoloration of the skin, mucous membranes and of the white of the eyes caused by elevated levels of the chemical bilirubin in the blood (hyperbilirubinemia). The term jaundice is derived from the French word jaune, which means yellow. Phototherapy. Phototherapy is treatment with light. It is used in some cases of newborn jaundice to lower the bilirubin levels in your baby’s blood through a process called photo-oxidation. Oxidation is the process of adding oxygen to change a substance (in this case, the bilirubin). Jaundice is not an illness in itself, but a medical condition in which too much bilirubin -- a compound produced by the breakdown of hemoglobin from red blood cells -- is circulating in the blood. The excess bilirubin causes the skin, eyes, and mucus membranes in the mouth to turn a yellowish color. Jaundice is a yellow discoloration of the skin, mucous membranes, and the whites of the eyes caused by increased amounts of bilirubin in the blood. Jaundice is a sign of an underlying disease process. Bilirubin is a by-product of the daily natural breakdown and destruction of red blood cells in the body.
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