Many babies are born with jaundice. It is actually quite common and is usually no reason for alarm. You will most likely be able to tell if your newborn has jaundice because his skin will have a yellowish tinge and the whites of his eyes will also be slightly yellowed. Another way to tell is to press down on your baby’s skin. When you lift your finger, you will see yellowish skin if your baby is jaundiced. If your baby is fine, the spot where you pressed down on will turn white when you lift your finger, then slowly return to the normal color.
Many times, the jaundice will not appear until a few days after you give birth. You may surprised at your baby’s yellowish appearance. Some parents actually find the shade of skin quite pretty and because of that it may be hard to notice the jaundice. If you have any doubts at all you should talk to your baby’s doctor. Never hesitate to ask. While jaundice is usually nothing to worry about, it can become quite serious, and in that case it should never be ignored. Severe jaundice can cause brain damage, so if you have any doubt that your baby may or may not have it, ask the doctor.
If your baby has just a mild case of jaundice, no treatment is usually necessary, and it should clear up on its own within a few days. Sometimes though, it may need a bit of help to disappear from your baby completely. There are several ways that you, as the parent, can help speed things along and get your baby back to normal again.
Expose your baby to sunshine! This is one of the best ways to get rid of jaundice in newborns. Lay your baby near a window in your house in nothing but his diaper. The window should let in the sunshine, so you will need to do this at a time when the sun is actually shining. Have your baby lay on his back for about ten minutes while the sun shines on him, then turn him onto his tummy so his back can get sunshine for another ten minutes. Do this everyday. You will want to be sure that your house is not extremely cold while you are doing this.
If you do not have a good window that lets the sun in your house, you can do this same thing in a car. The car should be parked in a safe place before you do this. Place your baby on the seat of the car with only his diaper on. Lay him on his back for ten minutes, then switch to his tummy for another ten minutes. The car should probably be turned on depending on the weather, because you may want to run the heater or the air conditioner. Never drive while doing this and never leave an infant in the car alone.
Feed your baby a bit more than usual. More frequent feedings will make your baby poop more, which will help get rid of the jaundice. Giving your baby water to drink will not help to flush out the jaundice or make him poop more. Only formula or breast milk can do this, but it is a great way to get rid of the jaundice.
If you try these methods and they do not seem to be working, take your baby to the doctor for a checkup. Your doctor will be able to give you some more advice and may even want to check your baby’s levels to see how much jaundice he actually has. If it is too severe, the doctor may put your baby in the hospital. At the hospital, they have lots of different ways that they can treat the jaundice and they are all quick and safe methods. Don’t hesitate to have your baby checked out, even if you think everything is fine. It is so much better to be safe than to be sorry. Your baby’s health is what is most important.
