What are the indication and symptoms if babies get jaundice?
• Your baby’s skin and the whites of his eyes may turn yellow. Your baby may also have yellowing of the mucus (MEW-kus) membranes. These may include areas of the mouth like the gums and tongue, or the fingernails or toenails. • Dark yellow urine or BMs. • Tired or very fussy. • Your baby does not drink enough fluids. What types of babies are more likely to get jaundice? Jaundice happens when your baby’s liver cannot remove bilirubin from the blood fast enough. The extra bilirubin that cannot leave the body stores itself in (soaks into) the skin and whites of the eyes. This is a common problem for the following babies: Premature babies. • Babies with bruising (BROO-zing) to their head or body during birth. • Babies whose blood was very different than their mother’s blood. • Babies with liver or other health problems. • Babies who are not getting enough liquids. • Breast feeding babies. How is jaundice treated? If the bilirubin level is not too high, your baby might not need any treatmen
