Why is the newborn baby's hair yellow?

I believe many people have seen that the hair of newborn babies is a little yellow, but many children gradually return to normal color. Often, many parents who have just had a baby don’t quite understand whether this is normal, or they are worried about the baby’s health. So let’s take a look at what’s going on with newborn babies’ yellow hair so that we can take timely measures to prevent diseases.

Jaundice. Jaundice is common in newborns.

1. Physiological jaundice is light yellow in mild cases and is limited to the face and neck, or spreads to the trunk. The sclera may also be yellow. It will subside after 2 to 3 days, and the skin color will return to normal on the 5th to 6th day. In severe cases, the jaundice will spread to the head first and then the feet, and the vomitus and cerebrospinal fluid may also be yellow. It may last for more than 1 week, especially for some premature infants, which may last up to 4 weeks. Their stool is still yellow and there is no bilirubin in the urine.

2. The color of jaundice is light pink in mild cases and darker in severe cases, but the skin is rosy with red in yellow.

3. Jaundice is mostly seen on the trunk, sclera and proximal limbs, usually not exceeding the elbows and knees.

4. The newborn is in general good condition, has no anemia, no hepatosplenomegaly, normal liver function, and no kernicterus.

5. Physiological jaundice is more common in premature infants than in full-term infants, and may appear slightly later by 1 to 2 days. The jaundice is more severe and disappears later, which may last up to 2 to 4 weeks.

6. Light therapy

7. It is a simple and effective method to reduce serum unconjugated bilirubin. Place the newborn baby in a phototherapy box, protect both eyes with black eye masks to avoid damaging the retina, cover the perineum and anus with a diaper, and leave the rest of the body exposed. Use single-sided or double-sided light irradiation for 2 to 48 hours (generally not more than 4 days). Treatment can be stopped when bilirubin drops below 7 mg/dL.

8. Exchange blood therapy

9. Blood transfusion can effectively reduce bilirubin, replace sensitized red blood cells and alleviate anemia. However, blood transfusion requires certain conditions and may also produce some adverse reactions, so the indications should be strictly followed.

10. Medication

11. Supply albumin, correct metabolic acidosis, liver enzyme inducers (such as phenobarbital), and intravenous immunoglobulin.

Regarding why newborn babies have yellow hair, in most cases it is normal. However, in some cases, because babies' physical constitutions are very different, diseases may still occur. These are introduced in detail above. Parents must carefully understand whether the baby's condition is normal.