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Infant jaundice, or physiological jaundice as it is sometimes known, is a common ailment, and appears first when the baby is about 2-3 days old. This happens with the skin of the baby appears yellow due to an excessive build-up in the blood of a naturally occurring substance called bilirubin, an orange-red pigment. Severe cases of neonatal jaundice have been known to cause skin to turn yellow-brown. It can occur to babies of any race.
2) Why Does My Baby Have Jaundice?
Bilirubin in the blood is normally removed by the liver. Jaundice occurs when the underdeveloped liver of a newborn fails to sufficiently break down bilirubin.
Bilirubin is a naturally occurring substance in the blood which is produced when red blood cells are broken down by the body. Normal livers usually break down bilirubin as soon as it is produced, but in more than half of babies, the young liver is unable to do this quickly enough, leading to the build up, and the resulting yellow tint to the skin.
Most infants have mild jaundice that is harmless. However, in some infants, the bilirubin level can be very high and this may cause brain damage. Hence newborns should be checked carefully for jaundice and treatment should be administered to prevent a high level of bilirubin.
4) How Can I Tell If My Baby Is Jaundiced?
The best way to detect jaundice is to place the baby in good light such as daylight or fluorescent lights. The skin of the baby with jaundice usually appears yellow, first in the face, thereafter moving downwards to the chest, abdomen, arms and legs as the bilirubin level increases. The whites of the eye may also appear yellow. In tanned skin babies, jaundice may be hard to detect visually.
5)How Should My Baby Be Checked For Jaundice?
If your baby appears jaundiced in the first few days of life, the doctor may conduct a blood test to determine your baby’s bilirubin level.
6) When Should My Baby Get Checked For Jaundice After Leaving The Hospital?
It is important for your baby to be seen by a nurse or doctor when your baby is between three to five days old, because this is usually the time when a baby’s bilirubin level is the highest. The timing of this visit may vary depending on the age of your baby when discharged from the hospital, advice given upon discharge and other factors.
7) Which Babies Require More Attention For Jaundice?
Babies with the following characteristics have a greater risk for high levels of bilirubin:
- Prematurity
- Appearance of jaundice in the first 24 hrs after birth
- Family history of jaundice: A parent or sibling who had high bilirubin level and required light therapy
Depending on your baby’s bilirubin level, he can either do home phototherapy or be admitted to the hospital for phototherapy. Phototherapy is done by placing your unclothed baby under special lights. Phototherapy will lower the bilirubin level and help prevent the harmful effects of jaundice. However, in some occasions the level of jaundice may be so high that phototherapy may not be effective. A special procedure known as exchange transfusion might then be necessary. Your doctor will advise you on the appropriate treatment for your baby.
Putting your baby in sunlight is not recommended. It does not reduce the jaundice level effectively. Moreover, newborns should never be placed under direct sunlight as they might get overheated.
9) How Safe And Effective Is Home Phototherapy?
Home Phototherapy has been used in the treatment of jaundice in the United States for more than 20 years. Its benefits in the treatment of jaundice are widely accepted. In a study done by Larry D. Eggert to assess the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of home phototherapy in treating uncomplicated neonatal jaundice, home phototherapy was found to be a feasible, safe, and effective alternative to in-hospital phototherapy for otherwise healthy, jaundiced infants with motivated and capable parents.
More and more paediatricians in Singapore have come to realise the feasibility of Home Phototherapy treatment in the elimination of jaundice.
10) Why should I choose Medela Home Phototherapy?
Phototherapy is trusted by doctors all over the world, and is a standard treatment for jaundice. Home Phototherapy captures all the safety and efficacy of treatment in the hospital, and brings it home to you.
Treatment at home also eliminates the hassle and trauma of having to re-admit your baby to the hospital for standard jaundice treatment, and breastfeeding can be made easier with you by your baby’s side at home.
In-hospital treatment for neonatal jaundice can cost parents anything between S$800 to S$1,000, but Home Phototherapy costs much less. For an equivalent period of treatment, parents can save more than $500 with treatment from home.
Our Medela phototherapy equipment is currently the leading brand being used in all prime hospitals in Singapore.
11) What Are The Side Effects Of Phototherapy Treatment?
Babies undergoing therapy will normally have frequent and loose bowel movements for the duration of their treatment. Their stools may also be greenish in colour.
This is completely normal, as the excretion is the body’s way of removing the excess bilirubin in the blood. Once treatment is completed, the frequent bowel movements should stop. You should contact your doctor if it persists after the treatment has ended.
12) Do Hospitals In Singapore Use The Medela Bilibed or Medela Phototherapy Lamp?
Yes. Leading private and government hospitals such as Thomson Medical Centre, Mount Alvernia Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Gleneagles Hospital, Eastshore Hospital, Kandang Kerbau (KK) Hospital, Singapore General Hospital and National University Hospital use the Medela Bilibed and Phototherapy Lamp.
13) How Do I Set Up The Bilibed?
Instructions on how to best use the Medela Bilibed and Phototherapy Lamp are simple:
- Remember that Home Phototherapy is not a replacement for visits to your doctor. See your doctor as instructed. Start and stop Phototherapy as recommended by your doctor
- Ensure that both light switches of the Lamp are turned on so that all light tubes are operational. The baby should be lying on a firm mattress; toys and pillows should be removed from the mattress
- For optimal therapeutic effect, the Phototherapy Lamp should be about 25-30 cm from the baby
- Keep the eye protection mask on the baby’s face at all times Keep the baby under the photo light for the whole period of treatment, and remove only when needed for feeding
- Ensure that the light switch for the Bilibed is turned on, and that the baby is strapped underneath the cloth/velcro cover
- Expose as much of the baby’s skin as possible
- Ensure that the baby is laying on his/her back or tummy. Change the baby’s position after every feeding, or ever two-four hours
- While the baby is lying on his/her tummy, make sure that his/her head is turned to the side. Monitor the baby regularly when in this position
- Check the baby’s temperature every four-six hours if possible
- Encourage the baby to drink more fluids, since Phototherapy can sometimes cause slight dehydration. Increase the amount of baby feed by 10% for bottle-fed babies. Breastfed babies should be fed frequently every two hours. You may wish to consider supplementing the baby’s diet with water
14) Where Can I Get More Detailed Information About Home Phototherapy?