Billy Who? What You Need to Know About Jaundice

You may have seen the babies when you toured the hospital. There they are. With Kool Moe Dee sunglasses on, encased in a clear case like the ear worm in Wrath of Khan. No, they aren't getting fake baked for Spring Break, they are being treated for Jaundice.

Jaundice (pronounced like your buddy Jon, got dissed) is the name given to when your kid's skin and the white's of their eyes are very yellow. It frequently occurs with newborns within the first week but most of the time, it corrects itself.

The technical name for jaundice is hyperbilirubinemia but there is no sense even remembering that because if your kid has it you will only hear the same 2 words over and over again: jaundice and bilirubin.

Jaundice is caused by having too much bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin (Billy Ruben) is yellow pigment that is released during the breakdown of the baby's red blood cells. In normal conditions, the bilirubin is safely passed through your kid's liver and then leaves the body when your kid drops the deuce. But sometimes, there is too much "Billy" for the liver to handle and it gets soaked up in the skin. 

This occurs a lot with premature babies, babies who get bruised during the long exit through the love canal, and those who are breastfeeding. It also tends to happen a lot to asian babies (as if our skin isn't yellow enough)

{mosnooad}HOW TO TELL
The surefire way to tell if your kid has jaundiced is that their body is very yellow. Their gums and tongue may be yellow. So may their fingernails. Sometimes, the kid has really dark yellow peedad and poodad. And other times the kid will not be drinking or feeding enough.

WHAT NEXT?
Most of the time, signs of jaundice is discovered when your kid is still at the hospital. But even if it develops towards the end of the first week, frequently, there is a 4 day checkup. If suspected, a blood test will be performed to determine how much bilirubin is in the blood.

WHAT HAPPENS?
Most of the time, the doctor will suggest you help things along by doing extra feedings and putting your kid under the sun. But if it is a tad more serious, you will be asked to bring your kid back into the hospital.

The hospital has what they call "Bili lights" and "Bili blankets". Bili lights are those ear worm cases with the bright lights. Bili blankets are glowing blankets that you wrap your kid up with very tightly. Basically you are surrounding them with the sun.

My son was born on a monday morning and showed some signs of jaundice when we left the hospital 2 days later. But by friday, his skin had turned more yellow and my wife and I spent the following weekend at the hospital watching him under the lights.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW
The most important thing to know is this is a common condition and the treatment methods are tried and true. But ignoring the symptoms, in rare cases, can lead to blindness and even brain damage. It is important to make sure your kid is ok.

The other thing to know is although it is common, you should be prepared for how scary it could be. Like in our situation, you go ahead and bring your newborn home to great fanfare and 2 days later you have to go back into the hospital. Although we got to hold him throughout the day, the majority of his 48 hours was spent under the lights.

Good luck noodads.