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Parents wish to offer the best comfort to the newborn when he is born. It isn’t easy to do, even when you got all the resources. Lack of knowledge about a newborn’s health conditions concerns many parents. They simply can’t find an explanation for what is happening to the child. They even can’t learn, whether the condition is normal or serious.
Such trouble occurs when the baby’s face turns yellow. Parents see their baby’s face turn yellower than it was before. It makes mothers quite anxious. This article will describe this situation so that you will know what to do!
What Does Turn a Baby’s Face Yellow?
If a newborn child’s face turns yellow, it is called a baby’s jaundice. This health issue affects many newborn children. This problem mostly affects healthy babies 2-3 days after birth. It can get worse with time and gets cured after 6-7 days.
Does it require special treatment?
You won’t even spot the signs of this health issue after two weeks of the baby’s birth. Therefore, it does not require any special treatment. Babies suffering from this type of health issue do not require any special treatment!
Beware of other health problems
However, there might be other underlying health issues responsible for turning the child’s face yellow. It can be malnutrition, anaemia, or liver disease! The yellowness of the baby’s skin will depend mainly on the health issue affecting the child.
Therefore, parents should always consult with a doctor to ensure it is not a serious health issue. The doctor will do necessary checkups to diagnose the health issue and cure it.
What are the Causes of Baby’s Jaundice?
It is called newborn jaundice when a newborn child’s skin and eyes start yellowing. Health experts consider it a normal problem. It occurs mainly when the child has a high level of bilirubin. It is a yellow pigment, which is generated after the breakdown of red blood cells.
Grownups have a strong liver to process bilirubin, which newborns lack. The developing liver of newborns cannot process bilirubin and therefore they are unable to remove it. Parents should not get worried about it. The baby will gain his natural pigment one or hardly two weeks after the birth.
Which newborns are more likely to develop newborn jaundice?
Newborn jaundice is common in babies, who are prematurely born. Suppose a child is born before 37 weeks, he is more likely to develop the newborn jaundice issue. This problem may also occur in babies, who do not get enough breast milk or baby formula. A poor feeding routine or inability to consume breast milk can cause this problem.
Some babies are born with a blood type that is not compatible with the mother’s blood type. They are also at a high risk of newborn jaundice. Such babies may also naturally develop antibodies to damage their red blood cells. That’s what spikes bilirubin levels in their body and their skin turns yellow!
Other causes of newborn jaundice include the following:
- Liver problems
- Internal bleeding at the time of birth
- Infection
- Abnormality of red blood cells
- Enzyme deficiency
The above-listed causes can also be responsible for turning a baby’s skin yellower. Therefore, it requires the proper physical screening of a child after birth.
Does Newborn Jaundice Affect the Child’s Mood?
A newborn child’s face might turn yellow due to many reasons. Dampness and spleen deficiency are considered mainly responsible for causing this trouble. Poor diet, sleep, and other such factors can also affect a newborn baby’s health. Does this issue affect a child’s mood?
If the diet is responsible:
Suppose your newborn child’s skin is turning yellowish due to poor diet, the baby might seem a bit upset. Newborns can only process breast milk and it can be a bit yellowish. So, it is going to turn the baby’s skin a bit yellowish.
The doctor will identify this health issue during the routine checkup of the child. They will do some tests and recognize symptoms to cure quickly. The sooner doctors find the symptoms are better because it will prevent further discomfort to your child.
If liver disease is responsible:
It is our liver’s job to process bilirubin and other elements to keep us healthy. A newborn baby does not have a decently functioning liver. His organs are still developing and they can’t work as effectively as an adult person’s organs work. Therefore, newborns are prone to diseases.
Some health experts believe a liver disease can cause changes in a newborn’s skin complexion. Every child inherits his natural skin color from his parents. If the child’s skin tone is changing suddenly, it is due to liver disease.
Proper screening is essential to find and cure the cause!
Anaemia, malnutrition, and gallbladder diseases are also capable of causing such health issues in babies. Premature babies also suffer from various deficiencies. They need intense care to get healthier and look normal. Therefore, doctors do comprehensive screening after the child’s birth to provide proper aid.
Some babies seem quite uncomfortable due to their health issues. They mostly sleep, cry, and merely eat due to weakness. Caretakers are trained to feed premature babies to prevent malnutrition. The baby gets healthier as he starts consuming food. His mood improves and then things seem less concerning.
What to Do If a 1 Year Old Baby’s Face Turns Yellow?
Babies get pretty active, communicative, and entertaining once they are 1-year old. Most mothers start mixed-feeding the child by this age. Some even start planning weaning-off so that the child can rely more on external foods.
Yes, a 1-year child can also suffer from jaundice. It might turn your child’s skin and eyes yellowish. Most children behave and eat normally if they start showing signs of jaundice. The baby’s skin might turn yellow due to several other reasons!
Learn about those reasons to know when to worry and when you should not worry!
Diseases: Babies with weak spleen, hepatobiliary disease, stomach issues, and malnutrition can also look yellowish.
Food consumption: Consuming tea and mangoes can also affect a child’s skin complexion. Not every child shows those worrying signs, but you should keep monitoring what your 1-year old kid eats.
Most 1-year old babies start moving. It is the time when most parents get busy with their work life. Therefore, it can be a lot difficult to be aware of the kid’s activities 24-7. Suppose the child shows the signs of a health issue, you should take him to a doctor. Early diagnosis can prevent further discomfort and keep your baby safe!
Blood tests and other tests can reveal the child’s health status: Doctors will conduct some important tests, such as blood test, urine test, etc. to diagnose the health issue. It is their routine checkup to diagnose jaundice. Suppose the baby is diagnosed with jaundice, the healthcare provider will offer comprehensive treatment to keep your child safe.
Whatever is responsible for changing your child’s skin complexion, doctors can easily diagnose it. Routine treatment will be enough to prevent further complications and your child will be safe.
How to Cure the Child If His Face Turns Yellow?
First, you have to assess your child’s feeding patterns. You must know whether your child is getting enough food or not. If malnutrition is the cause of his health problems, you will have to find out what is causing malnutrition.
Poor feeding technique, lack of milk supply, and a baby’s health issues can be responsible for poor feeding. Jaundice is not some incurable disease. So, there is nothing to worry about!
Take your child to a doctor:
Newborns and 6-12 months old infants cannot describe their troubles. Therefore, it is always tough to assess a baby’s health without proper screening. You should take the child to the nearest hospital.
The doctor will screen your child to recognize symptoms of potential diseases. Once the disease is diagnosed, the doctor can provide the best available treatment to comfort your child. So, whether your baby’s skin looks yellowish or he is experiencing other health issues, he needs a proper cure.
Is your child a picky eater?
People think babies do whatever their parents ask them to do. Most parents believe the child will enjoy whatever foods they serve him. That’s not true! Babies can be picky eaters. They will eat happily until you are feeding foods of their choice.
The moment a baby doesn’t like the taste, he will refuse to consume that food! It can cause malnutrition and therefore parents should always be around when the child eats.
Conclusion
Babies suffering from newborn jaundice recovery pretty fast. It is a common health problem in newborns. It turns a bit scary when the child suffers from this disease after 1-year of age. The baby needs proper medical care to recover faster. The sooner you provide proper treatment the faster your child will recover. That’s how you should take care when your baby’s face turns yellow!
