Neonatal jaundice is yellow discoloration of a newborn baby's skin and eyes.neonatal jaundice occurs because the baby's blood contains an excess of bilirubin (bil-ih-ROO-bin), a yellow pigment of red blood cells.

neonatal jaundice is a common condition, particularly in babies born before 38 weeks' gestation (preterm babies) and some breast-fed babies. neonatal jaundice usually occurs because a baby's liver isn't mature enough to get rid of bilirubin in the bloodstream. In some babies, an underlying disease may cause infant jaundice.

SYMPTOMS OF NEONATAL JAUNDICE

• Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes — the main sign of infant jaundice — usually appears between the second and fourth day after birth.
• To check for infant jaundice, press gently on your baby's forehead or nose. If the skin looks yellow where you pressed, it's likely your baby has mild jaundice. If your baby doesn't have jaundice, the skin color should simply look slightly lighter than its normal color for a moment.
• Examine your baby in good lighting conditions, preferably in natural daylight.
•  baby's skin becomes more yellow
• The skin on baby's the abdomen, arms or legs looks yellow
• The whites of  baby's eyes look yellow
•  baby seems listless or sick or is difficult to awaken
•  baby isn't gaining weight or is feeding poorly
•  baby makes high-pitched cries
•  baby develops any other signs or symptoms that concern you

CAUSES OF NEONATAL JAUNDICE

Excess bilirubin (hyperbilirubinemia) is the main cause of jaundice.

Bilirubin, which is responsible for the yellow color of jaundice, is a normal part of the pigment released from the breakdown of "used" red blood cells.

OTHER CAUSES

• Internal bleeding (hemorrhage)
• An infection in your baby's blood (sepsis)
• Other viral or bacterial infections
• An incompatibility between the mother's blood and the baby's blood
• A liver malfunction
• Biliary atresia, a condition in which the baby’s bile ducts are blocked or scarred
• An enzyme deficiency
• An abnormality of your baby's red blood cells that causes them to break down rapidly

RISK FACTORS

• Premature birth.  baby born before 38 weeks of gestation may not be able to process bilirubin as quickly as full-term babies do. Premature babies also may feed less and have fewer bowel movements, resulting in less bilirubin eliminated through stool.
• Significant bruising during birth. Newborns who become bruised during delivery gets bruises from the delivery may have higher levels of bilirubin from the breakdown of more red blood cells.
• Blood type. If the mother's blood type is different from her baby's, the baby may have received antibodies through the placenta that cause abnormally rapid breakdown of red blood cells.
• Breast-feeding. Breast-fed babies, particularly those who have difficulty nursing or getting enough nutrition from breast-feeding, are at higher risk of jaundice.

Acute bilirubin encephalopathy

Bilirubin is toxic to cells of the brain. 

symptoms:

• Listlessness
• Difficulty waking
• High-pitched crying
• Poor sucking or feeding
• Backward arching of the neck and body
• Fever

Kernicterus

Kernicterus is the syndrome that occurs if acute bilirubin encephalopathy causes permanent damage to the brain. 

symptoms:

• Involuntary and uncontrolled movements (athetoid cerebral palsy)
• Permanent upward gaze
• Hearing loss
• Improper development of tooth enamel

PREVENTION

The best preventive of infant jaundice is adequate feeding. Breast-fed infants should have eight to 12 feedings a day for the first several days of life.

HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT FOR NEONATAL JAUNDICE