What should I do if my newborn's sclera turns yellow?

Generally speaking, babies need to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days after birth, so that many neonatal diseases can be nipped in the bud. However, some diseases may not appear immediately. Some babies have yellow sclera after birth. This situation is usually caused by jaundice. However, most neonatal jaundice is physiological and will generally degenerate over time.

Why are the whites of the newborn's eyes yellow?

The yellowing of the whites of the baby's eyes is mostly due to jaundice, which is one of the most common diseases in newborns. It is divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. There is no need to worry about the former, which is a normal phenomenon, while the latter requires medical treatment.

Symptoms of physiological jaundice first appear on the face and neck, and may then spread to the trunk and limbs. They are generally slightly yellow, and the sclera may have a slight yellow tinge, but the palms and soles of the feet are not yellow. It will disappear in 2-3 days and the skin color will return to normal in 5-6 days. Severely affected children will first have yellow heads, then feet, and eventually all over the body. Vomitus and cerebrospinal fluid will also turn yellow, and the condition can last for more than a week. In some premature infants, it can last for up to 4 weeks, with urine and feces having normal color.

The jaundice is mostly found on the face, neck, sclera, trunk and proximal limbs, usually not exceeding the elbows and knees. The color of jaundice is light pink in mild cases and darker in severe cases, but the skin is rosy with a hint of red. Children with physiological jaundice are generally in good condition, do not have anemia, do not have enlarged liver and spleen, have normal liver function, and do not develop kernicterus.

What to do if the white of the newborn's eye turns yellow

1. Get some natural light

Babies with jaundice should be exposed to more natural light, which is a better treatment method. And your baby doesn't need to be weaned from breastfeeding, you can still breastfeed on schedule without having to worry about anything else.

2. Light therapy

Babies with more serious conditions can be treated with phototherapy, which is a method of treatment through fluorescent light exposure. It can relieve jaundice problems. Ultraviolet light can turn bilirubin into something that is more easily excreted from the body through the baby's urine.

3. Exchange transfusion therapy

If the condition is severe or the bilirubin level remains high despite phototherapy, exchange transfusion may be needed. However, this approach is generally not recommended.