How can jaundice be treated?
If your baby looks jaundiced, your doctor may suggest tests to measure bilirubin levels in her blood and determine whether treatment is necessary. If the baby was born at term and is otherwise healthy, most doctors will not begin treatment unless the bilirubin level is over 20 milligrams per decilitre of blood. Since the early 1970s, jaundice has been treated with phototherapy, a process in which infants are exposed to fluorescent-type lights which break down excess bilirubin so it can be excreted through the baby’s liver. The baby usually lies naked under the lights for a day or two, with her eyes covered by a protective mask. If your baby’s level of bilirubin doesn’t require phototherapy, you can still help bring it down by giving her a little exposure to sunlight in the early morning or late afternoon. Take great care not to let your baby sit in bright sunlight as this will burn his skin. Avoid overheating, as well. Ten minutes in the early morning or evening, when the sunshine is n
