Ovo Ogbinaka, a medical officer at the Central Hospital Ughelli, Delta, says newborn babies with jaundice, have 50 per cent chance of experiencing premature death, if is not quickly treated.
Mr Ogbinaka, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Benin said, “Infant jaundice is a condition where a baby’s skin and the white part of the eyes, appear yellowish during first week of birth.’’
The physician said infant jaundice could occur when the bilirubin (a waste product produced when red blood cells) is broken.
Mr Ogbinaka noted that the condition could occur in newborn babies when breastfed simultaneously with formula.
He said the disease usually occurs in the first week of life, “if the baby does not feed well or if the mother’s milk is slow to come.
“Mothers who notice any sign of jaundice in their babies should take such babies quickly to the hospital where they were delivered.
Mr Ogbinaka listed some of the symptoms of the disease to include; pale stool, drowsiness, poor sucking or feeding habit and dark urine.
He advised mothers to always urgently seek medical help once they notice any of the symptoms of jaundice.
NAN
