In newborns, a condition like jaundice is very common to be seen. It usually occurs when the amount of bilirubin exceeds in the blood. This usually occurs when the liver of the newborn cannot remove the bilirubin from an adult’s liver. Usually, jaundice in newborns is not very harmful and the effects are not fatal and detrimental. Most of the time gets cured by itself in a week or two.
The best paeds doctor in Karachi says that a lot of times jaundice goes away on its own and other times it needs to be treated by a child specialist. The main symptoms that can make you understand this issue in kids can be very similar in all the kids. These can include,
- Yellow and pale skin (starts from the face then moves down to the stomach and legs)
- The baby starts to get sick all of a sudden
- More sleeping than usual
- Fussy Behavior
- Trouble in feeding
It is very difficult to see jaundice in babies who are of darker complexion. If you want to check, then you need to press your finger on the baby’s nose or cheek. On leaving, if the skin gets pale then it shows that the baby is suffering from jaundice.
Home Remedies for the Treatment
It is not necessary to take your baby to the doctor as soon as you see symptoms of jaundice. A number of home treatments can be used in order to treat jaundice in children. Some of the famous home remedies that are still used to date include,
1. Frequent Feeding
The main cause of jaundice is the dysfunction seen in the liver. It has been researched and proved that a baby that gets the feed frequently is very less likely to get jaundice. Also, the symptoms of jaundice are a lot less bad when the baby is still on the mother’s feed.
The reason behind breast milk reducing the symptoms of jaundice is because of its ability to enhance the function of the liver by making the blood cells work efficiently. It is important to keep the baby on the feed as this can help immensely in pushing out all the bilirubin from the body. If the baby refuses to take the mother’s milk then make sure to feed him formula milk.
2. Probiotics
After a lot of research, it has been proven that probiotics are really good for kids. It is now considered to be one of the safest options to give children. Probiotic foods include yogurt which helps immensely in improving the symptoms of jaundice and keeps the stomach healthy.
Yogurt helps keep the levels of bilirubin low, eventually, this can treat jaundice by flushing out the bilirubin of the body. The probiotics when fed to babies can help greatly in reducing the chances of catching bacterial conditions and increase immunity in the baby.
3. Vitamin D
It is important that you give the baby the needed vitamin D. the best way to give your baby the needed amounts of vitamin D is by making them soak natural sunlight. The sunlight helps in a way that it breaks down the bilirubin and that’s how it decreases the amount of bilirubin present in the body.
The best practice to follow here is to take your baby in the sunlight and remove their clothes. You need to let the baby soak in the sun for some time. You just need to make sure that you don’t let the baby keep sitting for a longer period of time directly in front of the sun as this can cause sunburn.
4. Magnesium
Another natural treatment that is extremely effective in curing jaundice is magnesium. The accumulation of the excess bilirubin has proven to be reduced in the blood cells with the use of magnesium in babies of 6 months.
You can add certain foods that are high in magnesium in daily meals for babies. However, it is very important to consult a pediatrician if you want to give children foods that are rich in magnesium. It is important to not exceed the limit by 250mg per day.
5. Massage
It is important to give your baby a massage with oils that can be soothing to their skin. It has proven to be beneficial for curing jaundice in infants especially. It is overall good for the health of babies and can improve bowel movements immensely.
Conclusion
It is very concerning for a parent when their kid gets sick. Especially with a condition like jaundice, it is important to cure it timely as if it prolongs can leave adverse effects on the overall health of the baby.
Make sure that you give the baby the needed nutrition which can help heal the body and break the bilirubin as soon as possible.
