Baby Nahya is lethargic and sleepy…

Please find Baby Nahya at the Phototherapy station, she will be wearing a purple knit cap. 

Baby Nahya’s mother reports it is difficult to awaken, and her skin has developed a slight yellow tint. Her nurse suspects a condition common in infants called jaundice.

What does her examination show?

Through visual examination and confirmation with a blood test, Nahya’s clinician diagnoses her with jaundice. Jaundice means Nahya’s liver needs help breaking down bilirubin in her blood. Bilirubin is a substance made by your body when breaking down old red blood cells. Having too much bilirubin, because the body’s liver is not processing it well, can cause brain damage or death if left untreated.

What care is available to her?

Baby Nahya’s clinician recommends phototherapy, a treatment that uses UV light to help break down excess bilirubin, which Nahya’s body can then remove through waste. The levels of bilirubin in Nahya’s bilirubin levels in her blood will be monitored every 12 hours using a bilirubinometer until her levels remain in a normal range.