JAUNDICE-SILENT KILLER OF INFANTS

 

One of my customers that I knew was pregnant before walked into my pharmacy.I had to tell her congrats since her tummy was no longer as big as it used to be,she sighed and narrated how during the naming ceremony she noticed the child was turning yellow, how she rushed the child to the hospital, and how the doctors tried to save his life but he died eventually. I tried comforting her but how do you comfort a woman that had been looking for the fruit of the womb for more than ten years and eventually loose the child a week after to jaundice.

A report published by UNICEF on its website, states "More than a quarter of the estimated 1 million children who die under the age of 5 years annually in Nigeria die during the first 28 days of life (neonatal period). And it will be interesting to note that about 9 out of ten of newborn deaths are preventable."

According to the same report, the deaths of newborn babies in Nigeria, represent a quarter of the total number of deaths of children under-five. The majority of these occur within the first week of life, mainly due to complications during pregnancy and delivery, reflecting the intimate link between newborn survival and the quality of maternal care

Health experts say jaundice is a medical condition in which too much bilirubin- a compound produced by the breakdown of hemoglobin from red blood cells ,is circulating in the blood.

It is estimated that six out of every ten babies develop jaundice, including eight out of ten babies born prematurely (babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy).

Experts also say a baby born before 38 weeks may not be able to process bilirubin as quickly as full-term babies do. Also, he or she may feed less and have fewer bowel movements, resulting in less bilirubin eliminated through stool. So, they are more likely to get jaundiced.

 

Dr Audu Lamidi, Chief Consultant Paediatrician/Neonatologist at the National Hospital, Abuja corroborates this. "As mild as it can be, jaundice is deadly. It has killed many babies and in some cases damaged the brains of babies permanently, and they become incapacitated. It is preventable and babies need not die from it. But then, in some hospitals when babies are rushed in, the phototherapy light is not working, and if the case is severe and an exchange blood transfusion is not done immediately, the child may die," Lamidi explains.

 

HOW JAUNDICE IS TREATED

 

 

Treatment depends on the cause of the underlying condition leading to jaundice and any potential complications related to it. Once a diagnosis is made, treatment can then be directed to address that particular condition, and it may or may not require hospitalization.

• Treatment may consist of expectant management (watchful waiting) at home with rest.
• Medical treatment with intravenous fluids, medications, antibiotics, or blood transfusions may be required.
• If a drug/toxin is the cause, these must be discontinued.
• In certain cases of newborn jaundice, exposing the baby to special colored lights (phototherapy) or exchange blood transfusions may be required to decrease elevated bilirubin levels.

 

REFRENCES

www.ajol.info

www.emedicinehealth.com

www.allafrica.com