Jaundice in Children - Symptoms, Cause & Remedies
How to approach a child with jaundice? Learn all about jaundice in children - causes, symptoms and home remedies including diet and more.
Dr. Ajay Jain
Oct 7, 2019
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One of the conditions that can affect numerous children worldwide is jaundice. It is an illness that has an effect on the bloodstream, liver, digestive and excretion systems of the body. This condition is easy to identify as it will turn your child’s skin and sclerae (the white part of the eyes) yellow. Jaundice can manifest in adults and kids alike.
Types of Jaundice
1. Obstructive Jaundice
2. Pre-Hepatic Jaundice
3. Hepatocellular Jaundice
Causes of Jaundice in Kids
Jaundice can be caused due to numerous different reasons, some of these are:
- Your child may naturally have a weak liver leading to jaundice.
- The baby may have an inflamed liver which can cause jaundice.
- They may contract an infection of the liver which, if serious enough, can cause jaundice.
- Their bile ducts may be blocked or may prevent the excretion of bile due to inflammation of the bile ducts. Obstruction of the bile ducts could lead to the failure to flush bile out of the system and lead to jaundice.
- Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C are all well-known causes of Jaundice.
- Sickle cell anemia is a condition that is known to cause jaundice as a side effect.
- A genetic condition known as Crigler-Najjar syndrome is a known cause of jaundice.
- The most common cause of jaundice is consuming unhealthy, unhygienic and unclean water.
Symptoms of Jaundice
There are many ways to identify jaundice, some of the symptoms of this condition are:
- Your skin turns yellow
- The white part of the eyes turns yellow
- Frequent high fevers
- Extremely itchy skin
- Pale stool or yellow color stool
- Dark urine
- Fatigue accompanied by other illnesses.
- A rapid loss of weight
- A constant bitter taste in your child’s mouth
- Chills accompanied by some of the other symptoms
- Extreme abdominal pain could indicate a bile imbalance
- Joint pains with other signs
Home Remedies
Apart from the medicated treatments, some parents may choose to opt for natural home remedies. Here are a few remedies that may help combat jaundice.
1. Tomatoes
2. Turmeric
3. Sugarcane Juice
4. Buttermilk
5. Barley Water
6. Lemon and Beetroot Juice
Treatment of Jaundice in Children
- If jaundice is causing hepatitis, anti-viral medication could be prescribed to help combat the condition.
- Similarly, steroids are prescribed to help combat hepatitis caused by jaundice.
- In the case of blockage of the bile ducts, you or your child may need surgery.
- In cases of sickle cell anemia, a complete blood cell replacement procedure may be required.
- If jaundice is caused by Gilbert’s syndrome, the treatment, if any, is minimal and varies from doctor to doctor.
- Jaundice caused by a bad liver cannot be fixed. Doctors, in this case, may advise a change of diet and lifestyle to help slow down the deterioration of the liver.
Talk to your physician to come up with a customized treatment plan to help you combat this condition.
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