According to the National Institutes of Health, “Jaundice is a yellow color in the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes. The yellow pigment is from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells.”
And our little dude has jaundice – yesterday he was a little yellowish and his blood tests showed an above average level of bilirubin.
This is pretty common in newborns, but it still sucks because Jack has been “wearing” an ultraviolet blue light – a Bilisoft - for about 24 hours that helps his body fight the excess bilirubin and totally makes him look like a glowworm. We are also supplementing his feedings from Maria with a little formula, which helps him combat the jaundice too.
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| Maria holding |
The blueman glow suit is not particularly comfortable for him – it is very warm and has a long, thick plug that gets in his (and our) way. And we frequently have to shield his eyes with a soft tanning bed like eye cover, which does not make him happy.
That said, he is a champ and is awesome and we just got some great news from the nurse – his bilirubin levels are heading back in the right direction and he can probably take the glowworm outfit off in the morning and we may be able to go home tomorrow (Friday) instead of Saturday.
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