PT Health Watch: What you should know about jaundice in children and adults

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Jaundice is a health condition that makes the eyes and parts of the skin turn yellow. It occurs when the body stores excess bilirubin, a yellow pigment produced during the breakdown of red blood cells, which is normally processed by the liver and eliminated as waste. 

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When this process is disrupted, bilirubin builds up in the blood and is deposited in the eyes, skin, and other tissues, causing them to turn yellow.

Health experts say the condition is neither a disease nor contagious, but a symptom of more severe health conditions, which can lead to death if not well managed.

Adeleye Moses, a medical doctor at Garki General Hospital, Abuja, told PT Health Watch that jaundice can indicate that a patient is suffering from liver-related ailments such as hepatitis infection, cirrhosis, hepatoma, or parasitic conditions.

Although indicative of other severe health concerns in adults, jaundice is more common in babies and is a leading cause of hospitalisation in the first week of life globally.

Significant health concern for infants

Jaundice is considered more dangerous when it occurs in infants. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), up to 60 per cent of full-term and 80 per cent of pre-term infants develop some form of jaundice in the first week of their lives.

In Nigeria, research suggests that it is also the leading cause of preventable brain damage, physical and mental handicap and early death among infants in many communities.

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“The most common reasons why babies, especially newborns, develop health problems are a condition called G6PD deficiency, serious infections in the blood, and a mismatch between the mother’s and baby’s blood types,” Mr Moses explained.

Neonates are more at risk of jaundice due to their body’s inability to effectively process bilirubin into waste.

“Neonatal jaundice is physiological,” Mr Moses added. “The conjugation mechanism of the infant is not fully developed.”

How to identify jaundice

Although the most common sign of jaundice is a yellowish discolouration of the skin and eyes, visual detection of jaundice may be inaccurate in children.

Aside from yellowing of the eyes, another way to identify jaundice is by checking the skin and the inside of the mouth, says Chibueze Ezichi, a medical official at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.

He said for newborn babies, health workers often use a method called blanching, which involves pressing the baby’s skin, before it darkens to its natural tone, to check for yellowing underneath.

Mr Ezichi further noted that, for infants with light skin, jaundice can also be spotted on the soles of their feet.

He explained that this discolouration is more noticeable in light-skinned children because their skin tone makes the yellowing stand out.

In adults, other symptoms may vary based on the underlying cause of the condition, and may include: dark coloured urine, itchy skin, fatigue, clay-coloured stool, and vomiting.

Prevention

A study by Harvard Medical School recommended checking a baby’s bilirubin levels and ensuring the baby is well-fed during the first few days of life as ways to prevent jaundice.

Bilirubin is a yellow substance that forms when the body breaks down old red blood cells.

According to Mr Ezichi, anything that causes rapid breakdown of red blood cells can lead to jaundice.

“Severe malaria can trigger this by causing massive red cell destruction. So yes, preventing malaria is one way to reduce the risk of jaundice.”

According to him, mosquito control, early treatment, and protective measures like using nets can help reduce the risk of jaundice.

READ ALSO: PT Health Watch: Expert warns of rising cataracts among young Nigerians

He, however, noted that the cause of jaundice depends on the underlying condition, adding that the focus should be more on addressing the root cause.

Mr Ezichi said this is mostly important for people with sickle cell disease or hemolytic anaemia.

“The focus is not on preventing jaundice itself but on managing the crises or conditions that cause red blood cell breakdown.

For example, treating hyperhemolytic crisis or sequestration crisis in sickle cell patients helps prevent the buildup of bilirubin.

He emphasised that, “it is not always about what you can do to stop jaundice, but more about treating what’s causing it.”