What causes yellow skin in babies?

Many newborn babies have yellow skin, which is actually a very common disease called jaundice. Many babies have jaundice when they are born, which requires treatment. So are there any other reasons for the yellowing of babies' skin? Let’s take a look at the reasons why babies’ skin turns yellow.

After the baby is born, the originally rosy white skin may turn yellow one day during the neonatal period. This is neonatal jaundice. It is caused by a buildup of bilirubin in the body. Under normal circumstances, as newborns establish breathing after birth, the blood oxygen concentration increases, and too many red blood cells are destroyed. In addition, the newborn's liver is immature, which easily leads to an increase in bilirubin concentration. This is physiological jaundice. It usually occurs in full-term newborns around 2 to 14 days after birth, and in premature newborns it can be extended to 21 days after birth. However, in some pathological conditions, jaundice may also occur, namely pathological jaundice.

Common pathological jaundice includes the following:

1. Hemolytic disease of the newborn, which is caused by the incompatibility of blood types between mother and child;

2. Infections caused by various pathogenic microorganisms, such as cytomegalovirus, hepatitis B virus, Staphylococcus aureus infection, etc.;

3. Congenital biliary atresia also leads to bilirubin excretion disorders (obstructive jaundice).

In addition, because breast milk contains β-glucuronidase, which can lead to increased enterohepatic circulation of bilirubin, breastfed newborns may develop jaundice for this reason, which is called breast milk jaundice.

A yellow face in a baby is generally a sign of illness, but physiological jaundice in the newborn is caused by special physiological characteristics rather than a pathological condition. The mechanism of its production is mainly due to increased red blood cell destruction (the fetus is in a low oxygen environment in the uterus, so red blood cells are overproduced and relatively surplus after birth) and the immature liver of the newborn and limited ability to process bilirubin. Most newborns will develop jaundice 2 to 3 days after birth, reaching a peak at 4 to 6 days. It will disappear in 10 to 14 days for full-term infants and in 2 to 3 weeks for premature infants. During this period, except for jaundice, the child is generally in good condition, has a good appetite, and has no other abnormal conditions. Physiological jaundice does not require treatment and has a good prognosis.

The reasons for yellowing of baby's skin are clearly introduced above. So when we find that our child is born with yellow skin, we must report it to the doctor in time and receive timely treatment. This is a disease. We parents and friends must not delay the best time to treat our baby. Timely discovery and timely treatment are best.