quick clicks

babies today articles

babies today q&a

toddlers today articles

toddlers today q&a

breastfeed.com articles

breastfeed.com q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

New Baby Woes

Coping with Everything From Jaundice to the Common Cold

By Sharon Broz

Bringing a new baby home from the hospital is a joyous event that is fondly anticipated for months by expecting parents. Especially with first children, it is the moment when new parents transition from a couple to a family. Unfortunately, some parents have barely unpacked the hospital bags when the elation is cut short by the need to address an unexpected medical ailment.

Stephanie Tracy had just returned to her home in Madison, N.J., when she suspected that her new daughter Emily had jaundice. "The skin on her stomach was faintly off color but the whites of her eyes were noticeably yellow," Tracy says. For four days the Tracys brought Emily to the hospital to have her bilirubin tested only to find that Emily was getting worse. Sleep deprived and sore, Tracy became upset when her pediatrician suggested that Emily would need to be readmitted to the hospital if they didn't see improvement soon. Her pediatrician suggested she cease breastfeeding and try using only formula. "For 48 hours, I became the food pusher," says Tracy. "Whenever she opened her mouth I tried to stick a bottle in it, and it worked – the next day her blood test showed a dramatic decrease in her bilirubin level."

Roughly half of all babies experience some form of jaundice during the first two or three days of life. Jaundice occurs when bilirubin in the bloodstream is produced in greater quantities than an infant's liver can process and eliminate. Breast milk jaundice is believed to occur when a substance in the mother's breast milk further hinders the breakdown and elimination process. Most cases of jaundice disappear within days; however, more severe cases require treatment under an ultraviolet light often called a billilight.

Want to see more?

• What to Expect in the First Three Months
• Caution, Bumps Ahead! A Guide to Baby's Not So Picture-Perfect Skin
• Time for a Change: Detecting and Treating Diaper Rash
• Newborn Worries: Your Top 10 Questions Answered!
• Coping With Colic: How to Help Your Baby – and Yourself
• The Golden Child: Identifying and Treating Jaundice
• Newborn Surprises: Normal Oddities That Worry First-Time Parents

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.