AKUH Signs Symptoms and Care Programme

50 per cent newborns develop Jaundice in first week

“Jaundice is one of the most common reasons newborn babies are admitted to hospital,” Dr Syed Rehan Ali, Consultant and Senior Instructor in Neonatal Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi (AKUH,K) said at Aga Khan University Hospital's health awareness programme in Hyderabad.

Explaining ‘Jaundice in Newborns,' he explained that almost half of all babies develop jaundice in the first week of life while in premature babies the rate goes past 70 per cent. This condition might not be diagnosed until the babies are taken home. Yellowing of skin, an obvious sign of jaundice, is hard to discern in babies especially in those with dark skin. One may need to look at the baby's eyes for yellow tinge.

In most babies, jaundice subsides after a week or two without any treatment, but occasionally it can affect a baby's brain. That is why doctors always watch jaundice in babies very carefully, so they can treat it before it happens.

Dr Maqbool Qadir, Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist at AKUH,K, recounted ‘Feeding Issues in New Borns'.

Breast feeding is recognised as the best way of nourishment for babies. Nursing mothers also benefit. There are certified lactation specialists in the West who help mothers while they are still in hospital after delivery.

Many first time mothers have concerns about feeding especially breast feeding. Many myths also exist about breast feeding. Most of our working mothers, quit breast feeding totally when they go back to work. Dr Qadir educated the audience about alternatives to direct breast feeding and answered some common issues on feeding, i.e., spit ups, stool frequency, etc. The lectures were followed by a question and answer session with the speakers and the panelist Dr Sohail Salat, Consultant Paediatrician, AKUH,K.

As part of its outreach programme and societal commitment of creating awareness of early diagnosis and timely treatment, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) organises health awareness programmes. The Hospital has organised over 230 ‘Signs, Symptoms and Care' programmes in Karachi, Hyderabad, Quetta and the UAE, benefiting more than 45,000 people. Similarly, AKUH's Patient Welfare Programme reaches out to patients by providing assistance to those patients who are unable to afford the medical cost of their treatment. 73 per cent of all patients treated at the AKUH are from low- to middle-income areas. Since the inception of this welfare programme in 1986, over PKR 1.6 billion has been disbursed to more than 300,000 needy patients.