What is jaundice?
The yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes are typical indications of jaundice, a condition that develops either shortly after birth or during adulthood as a symptom of a potentially harmful illness or disease. M
What is jaundice?
The yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes are typical indications of jaundice, a condition that develops either shortly after birth or during adulthood as a symptom of a potentially harmful illness or disease. Mucous membranes in the mouth can also experience discolouration.
Jaundice (hyperbilirubinemia) is not a disease, but does signal that something in the body is not functioning as it should, indicating an underlying problem. The name of the condition is derived from the French word, ‘jaune’, meaning yellow.
The yellow discolouration is typically as a result of excess bilirubin (a yellow pigment / chemical compound that is regarded as a waste product) in the body’s system. Bilirubin forms as a result of red blood cells (RBCs) that are broken down in the liver. Red blood cells typically replenish themselves and travel through the bloodstream, carrying oxygen and nutrients that are essential for healthy bodily function. The liver normally rids the body of bilirubin by filtering it along with old RBCs no longer needed (these pass through the digestive tract and out of the body through stools and urine).
Jaundice occurs when this function does not happen efficiently (the liver does not metabolise bilirubin) and a build-up remains. This can indicate a serious illness whereby the impaired function of RBCs causes damage to the liver, pancreas or gallbladder.
What causes jaundice?
Jaundice is commonly seen in new-born babies, but can also occur as a symptom in adults signalling a more serious disease or health condition.
New-born (infant) jaundice
It’s not uncommon for a new-born to be diagnosed with jaundice, also known as neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (and often termed ‘physiologic jaundice’), especially if they arrive a little earlier than expected (are born prematurely). Surplus bilirubin often occurs in a new-born due to their underdeveloped liver. Extra RBCs begin to breakdown soon after birth and an underdeveloped liver may be slow to process the chemical compound excess (basically, the body produces more bilirubin than the liver is capable of metabolising).
Signs of jaundice typically peak between the first 3 to 5 days of life. Usually, new-born or infant jaundice will resolve itself as the body’s functions stabilise and the liver matures (within the first 2 weeks following birth). A baby with jaundice will, however, still need to be cared for (placed under ‘bili lights’ in a neonatal incubat