As a little child, the sight of men and women visiting our garden and requesting for unripe paw paws always left me wondering what they were going to use it for as I saw no need to consume a fruit if it wasn’t ripe yet.
Mom always told me that those collections were for herbs and that it could be that the person in need wanted to use it to treat Jaundice. I never paid attention or cared to know what jaundice was though my mom once briefly told me that it was an illness mostly present in kids which caused their eyes and skin to be yellow.
She further told me that sometimes, newborn babies affected with jaundice are been brought out and placed under the early morning sun which is a good source of vitamin D to receive treatment from the sun.
Growing up and being placed on a brighter side, I started finding out what this illness was about, most especially in kids.
What is Jaundice?
Jaundice is a common condition found in newborns which causes their eyes and their skin to become yellow in colour. This is a symptom of many medical related issues but it is often associated with conditions of the liver, the gall bladder or even the pancreas.
This happens when there is too much bilirubin, a by-product of old red blood cells in the blood. The baby’s digestive system is still tender and weak to process the breakdown of red blood cells and therefore unable to pass it out as waste.
Symptoms
As mentioned earlier, jaundice is known for its effect on the skin and eyes of the affected. The following are known symptoms of jaundice:
Yellowing of the eyes and skin
Dark coloured urine (yellowish in colour)
Pale coloured stools: the stool and other waste passed out is mostly yellow in colour due to presence of bilirubin
Appetite loss: the child experiences less interest in eating as he/she feels uncomfortable due to the stomach related problem he/she is experiencing at that particular time.
Weight loss: Being unable to eat and consume more fluids as required, the child is prone to experience loss in weight.
Nausea and Vomiting: The child is not being able to take in much food as expected easily gets irritated and experiences nausea
High Fever: A child with jaundice is also prone to have frequent fevers thus making the child uncomfortable and always crying.
As a child experiences these symptoms, it is advisable to take him/her to a doctor, as early diagnosis and treatment could go a long way in improving the child’s health.
Having known these symptoms, kindly do check here for the next post as discussions on Causes and Ways to Care for a child affected by Jaundice would be posted.
