Advice on Yellowing of Skin and Eyes In Newborns

Many new born babies suffer from jaundice, especially babies who are born before 36 weeks. These babies suffer from jaundice as their livers are not mature enough at this stage and are therefore unable to get rid of the bilirubin from their bloodstream. The common symptoms are the yellow in the skin and in the whites of the eyes and these usually appear within 2-4 days after the baby is born. Some effective home remedies for treating this problem are given below:-

It is important to feed your baby often as this will help to eliminate the excess bilirubin from the baby’s bloodstream. This is because the more your baby feeds, the more she will move her bowels and thus get rid of the excess bilirubin. It is advisable to feed such newborn babies every 2-3 hours, either by breast milk or with formula. A baby who has jaundice might sleep more than other babies who do not; therefore you will need to wake your baby up for feeds.

Doctors usually recommend phototherapy for the treatment of jaundice in newborns. However, the baby can benefit from sunlight, if treatment is being carried out at home. Keep the baby only in a diaper and keep her in a sunny room. Do not keep the baby is direct sunlight as the baby could get sunburn. Do make sure that the room is warm else the baby will catch a chill.

Jaundice in newborns is generally not a harmful condition and you should not be unduly alarmed by it.

answered by M W

As your baby is small, kindly perform basic blood test to rule out any complications. Please abstain from any home remedies before complete analysis.

answered by r k

My daughter is just four days and appearing yellow in skin and whites of the eyes. Please advise me some home remedies.