What does it mean when my baby has jaundice?
Physiological jaundice occurs in more than 50% of term babies and 80% of preterm babies and is the name given to the yellow colour of the skin which appears as a result in increasing circulatory levels of bilirubin.
Pathologic jaundice usually appears within 24 hours of birth and physiological jaundice within two to three days after birth. Bilirubin levels rise as a result of breakdown of red blood cells. During foetal life the baby has a higher number of red blood cells which have a shorter life span than adult red blood cells.
After birth the baby does not need the extra red blood cells and starts to break them down. The shorter life span red blood cells are also broken down. As a result of the red blood cell break down, bilirubin is released. This bilirubin is in a fat-soluble form and therefore not excreted readily in faeces and urine. The baby's liver works to convert the bilirubin to a water-soluble form.
Sometimes the liver has too much work to do and the bilirubin levels rise. Your baby may have a bilimeter test performed (a light flashed onto the skin) or a simple blood test to measure the level of jaundice. Sometimes babies require phototherapy to help them convert the fat-soluble bilirubin to a water-soluble form.
The baby is admitted to the Nursery and nursed naked in an isolette under phototherapy lights to help this conversion. Their eyes are protected from the bright lights by special eyewear. Blood tests are necessary to determine the level of jaundice and when to stop phototherapy.
