What to do if your baby has jaundice

Jaundice is a common symptom among many newborns. Such symptoms often make many parents anxious, because such symptoms often cause the skin of the newborn baby to turn yellow and cause the baby to lose appetite. If the jaundice is mild, it will generally subside on its own. If it does not subside for a long time, it may affect the growth and development of the fetus. If the baby still has jaundice after a full month, it must be treated in time. Let’s learn about what to do if the baby has jaundice after a full month?

Normal value of neonatal jaundice

The normal jaundice values ​​for full-term babies are different from those for premature babies. Generally, the normal value of jaundice in full-term newborns is 12.9 mg/100 ml, which means that the bilirubin level in 100 ml of blood is lower than 12.9 mg. The normal value of jaundice in premature babies is 15 mg/100 ml of blood, which means that the bilirubin level in 100 ml of blood is less than 15 mg.

When the baby's jaundice value exceeds 12.9mg/dl or the neonatal jaundice index rises too quickly (rising by more than 5mh/dl per day), or the jaundice lasts longer than the time it takes for a full-term baby to disappear within 14 days and for a premature baby to disappear within 4 weeks, or the jaundice disappears and reappears. It means that the neonatal jaundice is unhealthy and may be suffering from pathological jaundice.

Prevention of neonatal jaundice

(1) Fetal jaundice is often caused by the mother being attacked by dampness and heat, which affects the fetus, resulting in fetal jaundice after birth. Therefore, during pregnancy, the pregnant mother should pay attention to dietary hygiene, eat and drink in moderation, not eat raw or cold food, not be too hungry or too full, and avoid alcohol and spicy food to prevent damage to the spleen and stomach.

(2) If a woman has a history of hepatitis or has given birth to a baby with pathological jaundice, it is advisable to measure the antibodies in her blood and their dynamic changes before delivery, and take corresponding preventive medication measures. Strengthen monitoring during delivery, and the baby should also be closely monitored after delivery, and timely treatment should be given if symptoms occur.

(3) If the couple's blood types are incompatible (especially if the mother's blood type is O and the father's blood type is A, B, or AB), or if the mother's RH blood type is negative, regular serological and amniotic fluid tests should be performed and delivery should be under close supervision to prevent the occurrence of neonatal hemolytic disease.

(4) After birth, the baby’s scleral jaundice should be closely observed to promptly understand the onset and disappearance of jaundice. If jaundice is found, it should be treated as soon as possible, and the color changes of jaundice should be observed to understand the progress of jaundice.

(5) Newborns should keep warm and start feeding early.

Nursing of neonatal jaundice

(1) Pay attention to observe the systemic symptoms of infants with fetal jaundice, such as mental depression, drowsiness, difficulty sucking milk, restlessness, staring eyes, limb rigidity or convulsions, so as to detect and treat seriously ill children early.

(2) Closely monitor heart rate, heart sounds, anemia level, and changes in liver size to prevent and treat heart failure at an early stage.

(3) Pay attention to protecting the baby’s skin, navel and buttocks, keep them clean and prevent damage and infection.

(4) When blood transfusion therapy is required, the air in the ward should be disinfected in a timely manner, blood and various medicines and items should be prepared, and the operating procedures should be strictly followed.

The above is an introduction to how to treat jaundice in babies who are one month old. After understanding it, we know that there are many ways to treat jaundice. Generally, parents should not blindly choose treatment methods. They should observe their babies more often. In addition, when treating, they must go to a regular hospital to consult a doctor and listen to the doctor's advice. If it is due to breast milk, mothers should try not to breastfeed.