A typical physiological sign of a newborn child - a yellow triangle that appears in the area of the tip of the nose and nasolabial folds, greatly worries the family, since a suspicion of a symptom of hepatitis immediately arises. Pediatric specialists reassure adults that the appearance of the characteristic triangle is a fairly common problem in newborns. A child's yellow nose can become a reason for worries only when the sclera of the eyes turns yellow.
A yellow nose in an infant is often a cause for concern for parents.
Causes of yellowing of the nose in infants
Experts explain why a child has a yellow nose. They identified the main factors that, through their influence, cause a similar physiological manifestation in infants. The most common possible causes are:
- Jaundice of newborns, which stains the skin in a characteristic color. It occurs in 60% of newborns, appears almost immediately after discharge from the hospital. Pediatricians clarify that there is no need to be scared prematurely, since this is just a symptom, not a disease, and they give a clear explanation.
Note. During pregnancy, the baby's erythrocytes actively interact with the mother's erythrocytes, so the newborn has an excess of hemoglobin. At the birth of a child, its level begins to decline sharply, with the decay bilirubin, a bile pigment, is released. However, in a newborn, liver enzymes are not fully matured, therefore, they cannot completely neutralize bilirubin. As a result, it accumulates, and the baby's skin turns yellow.
- Much less often, the reason that the child's nose turned yellow lies in hemolytic disease, then jaundice becomes pathological. With this disease, the body produces antibodies that destroy the baby's red blood cells. As a result of the process, the amount of bilirubin increases. Pathological jaundice, like infant jaundice, manifests itself in the first days after birth.
- The most common cause of yellowing of the baby's nose and nasolabial folds is carotene jaundice, in which the baby's health is not disturbed. If there is no yellowing of other areas of the skin, such as the palms or ears, or changes in the color of children's stool, it is called false. Carotene jaundice can appear as a result of the introduction into the baby's menu of products containing a brightly colored pigment in excess - beta-carotene. The most dangerous for babies are citrus fruits, freshly squeezed carrot juice, pumpkin, various vegetables or yellow-green fruits. When a baby is breastfed, such foods can be included in the mother's diet.
- Sometimes, signs of a cold, which in newborn babies have a physiological character, can lead to yellowing of the nose and nasolabial folds. Pediatricians explain this not by negligence in care, but by the peculiarity of the formation of mucous membranes in infants. They say that for about the first 2-3 months, when the mucous membrane matures, the regulation of mucus is disrupted, crusts in the nose quickly form, leading to puffiness and yellowing of the skin.
Newborn nasal congestion can lead to yellowing of the skin around it
Typical Symptoms
Often, young mothers are worried about the problem: how to determine if a baby's nose has turned yellow, this is a sign of a serious illness, for example, hepatitis, or a typical symptom of infant jaundice.
The opinion of children's specialists is as follows: absence of severe manifestations characteristic of hepatitis, namely:
- yellowing not only of the wings of the nose, but also of other parts of the body;
- vomiting, diarrhea;
- changes in the color of urine,
indicates that parents should not have reasons for worry.
The main sign of a harmless “yellow nose” is that the condition of the newborn child must be satisfactory.
Important! In hepatitis, pigmentation of the mucous membrane of the eye, that is, icterus, is considered a characteristic typical symptom.
Reason for concern with yellowing of the nose
So that parents understand when to sound the alarm if the child has yellow wings of the nose, pediatricians advise first to find out the reason on their own. To do this, you need to exclude all factors that can cause the problem:
- Consider the age of the child. If the nose and nasolabial folds change in color, this is most likely a natural reaction of the infant's body.
- Observe the general condition of the baby, for example, measure body temperature, determine the presence of vomiting, diarrhea, changes in the color of urine and feces.
- Consider the diet of the baby and the nursing mother, try to exclude foods that provoke yellowing from it.
Council. If, nevertheless, a yellow nose persists in a baby, this is a reason to contact a pediatrician, since an untimely response to typical symptoms can lead to diseases that are difficult to treat.
A particularly alarming sign is the following: the skin is yellow not only in the nose, but also in other parts of the body, which indicates that the liver is not working properly.
Congenital diseases that destroy blood cells can cause yellowing of the skin.
After contacting a pediatrician, the first thing a specialist will recommend is to take a general blood test and be tested to determine the level of bilirubin.
Which doctor to contact
If the child turns yellow while still in the hospital, specialists will immediately examine him, and, if necessary, begin to treat him. Now women in labor with children are discharged on the third day, if the baby turns yellow at home, then the local pediatrician can determine the problem.
Important! The main thing that parents need to understand is that it is extremely dangerous to do home treatment, since such independence can lead to serious consequences. For the diagnosis and determination of treatment measures, you should contact only the child's doctor supervising the child.
If there are warning signs of yellowing of the skin in an infant, you should consult a pediatrician
Diagnostics involves examination of the child's skin and the sclera of the eyes. Having discovered a physiological problem, the pediatrician examines the features of lactation, the introduction of complementary foods for crumbs, the diet of a nursing mother, excludes foods with a large amount of carotene.
Preventive measures
All children's experts agree that the best preventive measure for physiological jaundice in infants is breast milk. Pediatric research shows that early attachment of a newborn baby to the breast can prevent yellowing of the skin around the nose or fix the problem if it has already been discovered.
First milk is believed to have a laxative effect, helping to rapidly excrete bilirubin. Therefore, it is necessary to attach the newborn to the breast as soon as possible.
To date, phototherapy, that is, phototherapy, is recognized as the most effective method of treating this condition. For the treatment, a special ultraviolet lamp is used, under the influence of which bilirubin breaks down and is excreted from the baby's body with urine and feces. The intensity and duration of phototherapy depends on the baby's body weight at birth and the level of bilirubin with constant monitoring.
The diet of a lactating woman is of prime importance in preventing and combating yellowing of the skin of a breastfed baby. It implies the exclusion of foods high in carotene from the diet.
Nutritional restrictions also apply to children who are artificially fed or have already switched to complementary foods. All dishes made from carrots, pumpkin, sweet peppers, herbs are excluded from the children's diet. Citrus fruits, dried fruits, rosehip infusions are prohibited for feeding the baby.
It is recommended to limit the baby's intake of fish oil, eggs, animal liver.
Important! Pediatric specialists will definitely recommend that mom stick to a diet throughout the year to avoid problems with the re-development of jaundice.
The daily drinking regime is of great importance. For a child, it is recommended to increase the usual amount of fluid consumed in order to speed up the process of removing bilirubin and cleansing the body.
Interesting. An important component of the prevention of "yellow nose" is insolation, that is, the baby should spend time in doses on the street under the sun.
Experts remind that such preventive measures will help speed up the elimination of excess beta-carotene and normalize the color of the skin.
To eliminate the causes of yellowing of the nose, first of all, it is necessary to remove prohibited foods from the diet of the child and mother.
The normal appearance of the skin is one of the important indicators of a child's health. The condition of children's skin depends on many external and internal factors that adults are able to regulate.
An experienced pediatrician and an attentive mother, according to the condition of the skin, will be able to identify problems in the well-being of the baby and prevent serious diseases.
Doctors warn: despite the harmlessness of carotene jaundice, you should not ignore the recommendations and self-medicate.
