my baby is 5 day old and his sclera's are yellowish in color. is this normal?

Question

my baby is 5 day old and his sclera's (white portion of the eye) are yellowish in color. is this normal?

Answer 1

Have you gone back for a post-clinic at your hospital? They had me back in 3 days after I left. They have a little pen light that they can put on the baby really quickly to measure for jaundice. If you call your birthing ward they'll probably let you come in and do the test for you anytime to make sure your baby doesn't have too much bilirubin. It takes a baby's liver a few days to kick in and start breaking it down, it can be bad so you'll want to get the level measured.

Answer 2

It is jaundice, and it is not a reason to rush off to the ER. Just make an appointment tomorrow with your baby's doctor and they will run some tests. However jaundice is almost always normal.

Do NOT under any circumstances stop breastfeeding. Doctors have all sorts of BS reasons for this and they are all wrong and stopping breastfeeding does more harm than good.
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/07jaundice.html



http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&ref=1243
Jaundice Helps Babies!
A startling study published in the November 25, 2002 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences tells how scientists at Johns Hopkins University proved that bilirubin, the pigment that turns jaundiced skin yellow, is actually a powerful antioxidant – capable of protecting a baby’s cells from damage. Like fever, jaundice was once seen as a problem. Now we know that at normal levels fever and jaundice are both friends – part of the body’s healing mechanism. They might signal an urgent problem, so neither fever nor jaundice should be ignored in a baby. Also, if the levels are too high they can cause problems themselves, so fever and jaundice sometimes need urgent treatment. Nevertheless, like fever, jaundice can be a baby’s friend, almost like a layer of flexible inside armor, keeping the baby safe.

Answer 3

Call the on call perdiatrician in the hospital where your baby was born. They will have you immediately bring the child in to get some blood drawn to check the child's bilirubin levels. It is probably jaundice, but it needs to be treated immediately because a build of dead bilibrubin levels (which is what causes jaundice) if left untreated can have all sorts of bad side effects. If the baby has a pediatrician, you should call them as well because the hospital might need a doctor's RX to get the blood drawn. If you don't have a peditrician right now since the baby is so new, I suggest going right to the ER. This is serious.

Answer 4

Normal Sclera Color

Answer 5

Jaundice is caused by a build up of bilirubin in the blood from the breakdown of too many red blood cells. Jaundice seen in the newborn, known as neonatal jaundice, is common, occurring in almost every newborn as the liver does not fully mature until approximately two weeks of age. Jaundice also usually is noticeable from head to toe - you will notice in the eyes and mucous membranes first then it progresses down to the feet. Even though this is common in neonates, please notify your pediatrician or call an ER for further advice. The condition can lead to further damage if left untreated for too long.

Answer 6

It is most likely jaundice, the eyes are the last place it will be noticed. It starts out at the head works its way down then back up ( when the bilirubin is leaving the body) this is per my daughters pediatrician. I was concerned when I saw her eyes but it went away after a few days.

Answer 7

Can be perfectly normal.
It's caused by blood breakdown, as baby outside the uterus needs less quantity of red blood cells. These breakdown and one of the byproducts is bilirrubin (yellow) and given the baby's liver is still inmature accumulates a little and causes it.

Just in case if the baby had treatment for ABO or RH incompatibility in the hospital it could mean that is best to check with Dr. Mention in case you were told this.

Congratulations!

Answer 8

Both my kids had that straight out of the hospital. you are supposed to sit them by a sunny window to get the sun into their system. Some babies have it worse than others. It should be clearing up if you let the baby sleep by the windows. I had a portable crib to wheel around. If you dont' have this, perhaps sit him/her in the carseat by the window in the morning for nap. Even on a cloudy day there are sunrays coming in. If he/she doesnt get better, I'm sure u have a 2 week checkup scheduled.
Dont panic, use common sense and if you don't have someone reliable to count on, get the book."What to Expect the First Year" > This will be helpful for everything from teething , rashes , to the flu and what to feed them and how to care for them when they're sick.

Answer 9

I doubt that she is constipated, it is very unlikely for a breastfed baby to be constipated. I no longer breastfeed, but while I was breastfeeding my daughter she only had bowel movements every 48 hours. Almost like clockwork. So it is fairly normal, but if she goes much longer I would at least give the doctor a call. Most likely they are going to just tell you it is normal.

Answer 10

You should take your baby in to see a doctor ASAP. It seems as though the baby has jaundice & that can be a very serious & also fatal problem if not treated properly. Most times they will place the infant under special lighting to help improve the jaundice, but the baby's liver functions need to be checked. This is a medical emergency. Please don't wait on this one....your child's life could depend on it. Please!