Ask
your pediatrician to see your baby the day you call, if your
baby
ü
Is very yellow or orange (skin color
changes start from the head and spread to the toes)
ü
Is hard to wake up or will not sleep
at all
ü
Is not breastfeeding or sucking from
a bottle well
ü
Is very fussy
ü
Does not have enough wet or dirty
diapers
Get
emergency medical help if your baby
ü
Is crying inconsolably or with a high
pitch
ü
Is arched like a bow (the head or
neck and heels are bent backward and the body forward)
ü
Has a stiff, limp, or floppy body
ü
Has strange eye movements
What can I do
to make sure my baby’s jaundice does not cause brain damage?
A Ask
your doctor or nurse about a jaundice bilirubin test.
C
Create
a follow-up plan before leaving the birth hospital. All babies 3 to 5 days old should be checked by a nurse or doctor, because this is usually
when a baby’s bilirubin level is highest. The timing of the follow-up visit will
depend on how old your baby is when you leave the birth hospital and on any
other risk factors. Babies with jaundice in the first 24 hours of life or with
high bilirubin levels before hospital discharge should have an early follow-up
plan.
T
Treat jaundice seriously.
[Return
to Top of Page]
Date:
March 28, 2007
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities