Jaundice of children or adult

 What is Jaundice ?

Children with jaundice often have a yellowish tint of the eyes and skin that usually begins on the face and moves down the body. Jaundice is a sign of a condition called hyperbilirubinemia. Babies and children develop hyperbilirubinemia when a waste product called bilirubin builds up in their blood.

Jaundice occurs when bilirubin cannot be removed from the body fast enough and levels in the blood become too high. The buildup of bilirubin causes the skin and the white part of the eyes to appear yellow.

What are the symptoms of jaundice?

1. Fever.

2. Chills.

3. Abdominal pain.

4. Flu-like symptoms.

5. Change in skin color.

6. Dark-colored urine and/or clay-colored stool.

7. fatigue

8. abdominal pain

9. weight loss

10. vomiting

11. Sleepier then usual

During production of bilirubin, jaundice can be caused by:

1. Viruses, including Hepatitis A, chronic Hepatitis B and C, and Epstein-Barr virus infection (infectious mononucleosis).
2. Alcohol.
3. Autoimmune disorders.
4. Rare genetic metabolic defects.
5. Medicines, including acetaminophen toxicity, penicillins, oral contraceptives, chlorpromazine (Thorazine®) and estrogenic or anabolic steroids.

After bilirubin is produced, jaundice may be caused by obstruction (blockage) of the bile ducts from:

1. Gallstones.
2. Inflammation (swelling) of the gallbladder.
3. Gallbladder cancer.
4. Pancreatic tumor.

If jaundice isn't caused by an infection, you may have symptoms such as weight loss or itchy skin (pruritus). If the jaundice is caused by pancreatic or biliary tract cancers, the most common symptom is abdominal pain. Sometimes, you may have jaundice occurring with liver disease if you have:

1. Chronic hepatitis or inflammation of the liver.
2. Pyoderma gangrenosum (a type of skin disease).
3. Acute hepatitis A, B or C.
4. Polyarthralgias (inflammation of the joints).