Therapy of a newborn jaundice

If jaundice of a certain intensity has been detected by blood sampling, treatments are used to avoid particularly neurological late effects. In general, there are two therapeutic procedures to choose from: Phototherapy and blood exchange transfusion. Up to a certain limit value of the bilirubin concentration, phototherapy alone is sufficient.

Here, the infant is irradiated with blue light with a wavelength of 460 nm.The bilirubin is structurally modified so that it can be excreted via the kidneys and bile without having to be broken down in the liver. The child should be as naked as possible so that a large area is irradiated. The child’s eyes must be covered to prevent damage to the retina of the eye.

The lamp is positioned at a distance of about 20 cm from the child. Repeated irradiations of 5 hours duration are usually sufficient, but in more severe cases irradiation should be continuous. If the bilirubin limit for irradiation is exceeded or no drop in bilirubin concentration is reached, blood exchange transfusion is used.

In this procedure, the child’s blood is exchanged for adult blood of blood group 0 rh negative via the umbilical vein. This stops the further degradation of hemoglobin and thus the rise in bilirubin levels. In addition, frequent feeding and fluid administration is recommended to stimulate bilirubin excretion.

Further diagnostics can be performed photometrically by transcutaneous multispectral measurement to check the bilirubin concentration in the skin. The aim of phototherapy is to convert indirect bilirubin into direct bilirubin by irradiating the skin. This is water-soluble and can then be excreted via the bile and urine.

The irradiation is done with blue light with a wavelength of 420-480 nm. Mature newborns with a bilirubin level of over 20 mg/dl are treated. For premature babies, the limit is already at 10 mg/dl.

Phototherapy is carried out until the bilirubin level has fallen to the normal values. It is important that the newborn baby is given sufficient fluid and wears eye protection. Side effects of the therapy are diarrhea, dehydration and separation from the mother.

It also increases the risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The therapy must not be carried out if there is an increase in direct bilirubin, as this can lead to irreversible changes in skin color (bronze baby syndrome). You can read more detailed information on this topic here: PhototherapyThere are few homeopathic remedies that can be used and are useful for neonatal icterus.

However, before using these substances as the sole form of treatment, it is essential to consult a physician. In addition to the physiological, harmless neonatal icterus, other forms of the disease can also be considered, which require further diagnosis and specific, medically supervised therapy to avoid complications and permanent damage. Homeopathic use is for example liver tea, which the nursing mother drinks and which can also be administered in small quantities to the infant.

Grapefruit or artichoke juice can also be drunk by the mother. In addition, a diet that is gentle on the liver and reduces the meat content is recommended. Baby massages or liver compresses for newborns are also said to have a supportive effect.