Symptom
Yellowing of skin and whites of eyes.
Home care
Home treatment cannot be undertaken until an accurate diagnosis has been made.
Precaution
Jaundice caused by a drug will disappear when the child is taken off the particular medication. All other types of jaundice in children are potentially serious and require prompt medical attention.
Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes due to the accumulation in the body of a substance called bilirubin, which is released when old red blood cells are replaced by new ones. Bilirubin is excreted by the liver into the intestine as bile. Jaundice develops when the red blood cells are rapidly destroyed (as in sickle cell and other forms of anaemia); when the liver cannot transform bilirubin into bile; or when bile cannot flow through the bile ducts into the intestine, for example, if the bile duct is blocked by stones, cysts, or a malformation.
Jaundice rarely occurs as a complication of a generalized infection, but it may be caused by some drugs and poisons. The usual cause of jaundice in children over one month of age is hepatitis, which damages the liver cells and interferes with the formation of bile.
The yellow-gold-orange color of the skin and whites of the eyes suggests jaundice. When a child has jaundice, all of the body fluids are stained; the tears are yellow, and the urine is dark orange. However, the diagnosis can be exceedingly complex and depends upon laboratory tests.
Home care
Only after a clear diagnosis has been made can anything be done in the home.
Precaution
Jaundice caused by a certain medication will disappear when the child is taken off the medication. Other causes of jaundice in children are potentially serious and hard to diagnose. They all require a doctor’s attention.
Medical treatment
A child suspected of having jaundice will require laboratory tests to define the reason for the jaundice. Hospitalization is sometimes required.
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