What are the treatments for jaundice?
Depending on the cause, the treatments may be fairly simple. In young infants with jaundice, the doctor will check the mother’s blood type and the baby’s blood type as well as a blood count to make sure that the jaundice is not related to hemolysis. She will also check both total and conjugated bilirubin in the baby’s blood to determine if the cause could be related to cholestasis. If the blood tests are consistent with physiologic jaundice, the doctor may monitor the baby to see if the bilirubin levels are rising and may recommend that the baby get direct or indirect sunlight daily. If the bilirubin reaches a high enough level, the doctor may order that the baby be placed under special lights (phototherapy) to help bring down the level. But if the bilirubin continues to rise despite phototherapy, the baby may need a partial or complete blood exchange which is done in a hospital setting. This involves taking some of the baby’s blood and replacing it with salt water (saline) or with som
