$Unique_ID{PAR00112}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Jaundice in Children}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Jaundice Yellowing skin eye eyes medication medications bilirubin red
blood cells liver bile duct blockage blocked ducts stone stones cyst cysts
malformation malformations malformaties sickle cell anemia drug drugs poison
poisons hepatitis yellow gold orange}
$Log{}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Jaundice in Children


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOM
     - Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes

     HOME CARE
     - Home treatment cannot be undertaken until an accurate diagnosis has
       been made.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Jaundice caused by a drug will disappear when the child stops taking
       that particular medication.  Do not, however, discontinue any
       medication without your doctor's approval.
     - All other types of jaundice in children are potentially serious and
       require prompt medical attention.


     Jaundice is characterized by yellowing of the skin and the whites of the
eyes due to the accumulation in the body of a substance called bilirubin,
which is released when old red blood cells are replaced by new ones.
Bilirubin is normally excreted by the liver into the intestine as bile.
Jaundice develops when the red blood cells are rapidly destroyed (as in sickle
cell anemia and other forms of anemia); when the liver cannot transform
bilirubin into bile; or when bile cannot flow through the bile ducts into the
intestine (for example, if the bile duct is blocked by stones, cysts, or a
malformation).
     Jaundice rarely occurs as a complication of a generalized infection, but
it may be caused by some drugs and poisons.  The usual cause of jaundice in
children over one month of age is hepatitis, which damages the liver cells and
interferes with the formation of bile.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     The yellow, gold, or orange color of the skin and the whites of the eyes
suggests jaundice.  When a child has jaundice, all of the body fluids are
stained; the tears are yellow, and the urine is dark orange.  However, the
diagnosis can be exceedingly complex and depends on the results of laboratory
tests.

HOME CARE

     Only after a clear diagnosis has been made can anything be done in the
home.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  Jaundice caused by a drug will disappear when the child stops taking that
     particular medication.  Do not, however, discontinue any medication
     without your doctor's approval.
  -  All other types of jaundice in children are potentially serious and
     require prompt medical attention.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     Laboratory tests are necessary to define the cause of the jaundice.
Hospitalization is sometimes required.

RELATED TOPICS:  Anemia; G6PD deficiency; Hepatitis; Jaundice in newborns;
Sickle cell anemia