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Infant Diagnosed With Mild Jaundice And Given Phenobarbitone Syrup. What Cure Should Be Done?
Question: my babcy is 14 days old. He is doing fine, However, since last 4-5 days there was a yellowins tinge to his face. Hence we showed to a doctor who asked for bilirubin test. His total bilirubin level is 21.6 and direct is 0.54. Doctor has prescribed this as mild jaundice and given phenobarbitone syrup once a day for one week and also asked us to expose him to sunlight.
Pls advice
Pls advice
Hi, thanks for using healthcare magic
Jaundice is due to increased amounts of a substance called bilirubin in the blood. In babies the jaundice is classified as physiological or pathological.
Physiological jaundice occurs as part of the normal functioning of the baby and is not due to any disease process.This normally starts within the 1st week of life.
The normal expected level of the bilirubin varies depending on whether the baby was full term or pre term and the baby's present age.The values that you quoted are higher than would be expected.
If he is being breast fed it would contribute to the jaundice, it commonly occurs in breast fed babies, it is not XXXXXXX to him and will fall.There is a type of jaundice called breast milk jaundice. Some doctors recommend holding breast milk for 1 to 2 days (expressing in between to keep milk production going), the jaundice and blood levels would rapidly fall.
Phenobarbitone is used in jaundice to increase the breakdown of bilirubin.
Phototherapy (exposing him to sunlight) can be used to treat bilrubin. Most often with use of a bilirubin blanket or under a special light but some doctors may recommend the use of indirect sunlight, early morning or late evening.
You can continue to use the therapy as directed by your doctor.
He/she would advise a repeat of the level in a a few days of therapy to make sure that they are decreasing.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Jaundice is due to increased amounts of a substance called bilirubin in the blood. In babies the jaundice is classified as physiological or pathological.
Physiological jaundice occurs as part of the normal functioning of the baby and is not due to any disease process.This normally starts within the 1st week of life.
The normal expected level of the bilirubin varies depending on whether the baby was full term or pre term and the baby's present age.The values that you quoted are higher than would be expected.
If he is being breast fed it would contribute to the jaundice, it commonly occurs in breast fed babies, it is not XXXXXXX to him and will fall.There is a type of jaundice called breast milk jaundice. Some doctors recommend holding breast milk for 1 to 2 days (expressing in between to keep milk production going), the jaundice and blood levels would rapidly fall.
Phenobarbitone is used in jaundice to increase the breakdown of bilirubin.
Phototherapy (exposing him to sunlight) can be used to treat bilrubin. Most often with use of a bilirubin blanket or under a special light but some doctors may recommend the use of indirect sunlight, early morning or late evening.
You can continue to use the therapy as directed by your doctor.
He/she would advise a repeat of the level in a a few days of therapy to make sure that they are decreasing.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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