WHAT IS TBIL (bilirubin)?
My new born son is having Jaundice. after the Blood test the report gives me the figures as
CHEMISTRY RESULTS REF RANGE REMARKS
TBIL 11.12mg/dl 0.40-2.00 ORR HI
DBIL 0.49mg/dl 0.10-0.50

I am yet to take my kid to the doctor. Physical appearence shows yellowish colour of the eyes(white area),cheeks & neck.
What is the solution to this. How bad is the condition of my Baby.
Z.J

WHAT IS TBIL (bilirubin)?
My new born son is having Jaundice. after the Blood test the report gives me the figures as
CHEMISTRY RESULTS REF RANGE REMARKS
TBIL 11.12mg/dl 0.40-2.00 ORR HI
DBIL 0.49mg/dl 0.10-0.50

I am yet to take my kid to the doctor. Physical appearence shows yellowish colour of the eyes(white area),cheeks & neck.
What is the solution to this. How bad is the condition of my Baby.
Z.J

Your new child should be seen by a pediatrician. My daughter had slight jaundice and needed to be seen by the doctor within 3 days after she was born.

I don't know what all that is, but I can tell you that the number that sounds like what my babies had is the 11.1. All of my babies had issues, two of them had to wear the light blanket. 11 is not a number that would alarm anyone depending on the day it was taken. What they want to avoid is having it peak in the high teens. So if it was 11 on peak day - no sweat. Early - it certainly is something they would watch. Probably going in every day for a blood draw until it starts to fall. IT would also be more of a concern if you are breast feeding, because BF babies get rid of the bili a little slower than formula fed babies. I wouldn't be in a panic over this, but I would certainly be at my pediatricians ASAP so they can keep a close eye on things.

My second son had jaundice when he was born. His was not so sereve that he had to go under the lights. But we did have to expose him to a lot of natural light and get regular blood tests until the jaundice was gone.

But to answer your question about what is bilirubin. Bilirubin is a brownish yellow substance found in bile. It is produced when the liver breaks down old red blood cells. Bilirubin is then removed from the body through the stool (feces) and gives stool its normal brown color.

Why babies get jaundice. In most cases it occurs because your baby's liver isn't mature enough to metabolize a molecule called bilirubin, which normally forms when the body recycles old or damaged red blood cells. Jaundice causes no discomfort to the baby and in most cases disappear within 2 weeks. However jaundice should be closely monitored by your baby's doctor because severe jaundice can lead to serious complications. Treatments can help keep your baby's blood level of bilirubin from becoming too high.

It is very important that your baby is seen by the doctor within a few days of coming home so he can have his levels checked again. Most doctors and nurses know just by looking at a baby if there is something to be concerned about.

My son was slightly jaundiced when I had him. He was home one night and when I was holding him the next afternoon and he just seemed so lethargic and yellow. I called the doctor and they told me to go to the hospital for a blood test. They pricked my son's foot and his bilies went from 13 to 18 in about 36 hours. My son was admitted to the NICU for a weekend. He was put under lights for the weekend and he had to start on formula since I wasn't producing enough breast milk. Fluids are very important when a baby is jaundiced.

My best advice is if you feel something is off, trust your gut instinct. All the nurses in the NICU were patting me on the back because they were impressed that I noticed my son turning more and more yellow. I am not a nurse and have no idea what to look for, but something told me that my son was just not right. Best of luck!

My oldest, like KeltoKel, ended up with a level of 18. I was trying to breastfeed and had to end up supplementing with formula. You want the baby to eat and poop a lot. This helps get it through the body and out. They did not admit my son to the hospital, which was surprising b/c he had high levels and was born at 36 weeks. But things went fine with him at home. He was put in a billy (sp?) blanket and kept that on for over a week. In addition to that we kept him in the sun. Move the bassinet next to a sunny window.

We also took him every other day for heel sticks to check his levels. 11 isn't too alarming of a number, but call your pediatrician and see what the next step is. Good luck and congrats on your new little one!