Jaundice in the NICU

Jaundice in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is also called hyperbilirubinemia, meaning that there is a higher than normal amount of bilirubin in the babys body. Bilirubin is a pigment in the blood that makes an infants skin look yellow.

What causes jaundice?

When an infant is born, bilirubin is passed through the liver and removed from the infants blood, then eliminated when the babystools. Jaundice occurs when the liver cannot remove all the bilirubin and it builds up in the blood, causing the skin to look yellow. In utero, meaning when the baby was still inside mom, it was the moms liver that processed and filtered out all the bilirubin. When the baby is born, he or she now has to rely on their own little body to eliminate the bilirubin, which can be difficult. Jaundice is very common in newborn infants, affecting almost 1 out of 3 babies born.

Treatment of Jaundice
If bilirubin levels in the blood are high enough, jaundice can be treated with phototherapy, or bililights. The newer phototherapy lights are a bright cobalt blue in color, so the infant must wear an eye cover when under them. An infant will be placed under these light naked, with the eye cover, so that the lights can change the bilirubin into a form that the babys body can breakdown more easily, and be excreted via urine. Another form of phototherapy is called a biliblanket, which is when the baby is placed in a fiber optic blanket with the same bright blue lights that helps break down the bilirubin. Sometimes, these can be prescribed by a pediatrician so the therapy can be administered at home. If jaundice is severe and phototherapy is not working, and exchange blood transfusion might be necessary, which is when the infants blood is slowly removed as it is r eplaced with fresh donor blood. One thing mothers can do to help reduce the risk of jaundice is to make sure their baby is getting enough breast milk or formula. The idea is to keep the babys bowel movements consistent, so that bilirubin is constantly being removed from the body.

Jaundice at home
After discharge from the NICU or newborn nursery, it is common practice to have a newborn baby visit their pediatrician after only one or two days, so the doctor can check for jaundice. Since it occurs most commonly within the first 2 to 5 days of life, apediatrician will want to make sure the baby isnt showing signs of jaundice. If the infant is jaundiced, then they will take whatever course of treatment is necessary. It is advised to call your pediatrician if you notice any of the following symptoms at home: a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more taken rectally. jaundice (yellow skin) within the first 24 hours of life. the jaundice is spreading or is starting to become distinctly stronger in appearance. if you have any concerns on your baby acting sick or looking worse.