8 out of 10 babies born prematurely develop jaundice

Jaundice a common reason for babies’ admittance to hospital

"Seven to eight out of 10 babies who are born prematurely develop jaundice, and one of the most common reasons for very young babies being admitted to hospital is to have treatment for jaundice." This was stated by Dr Rehan Ali, Consultant Neonatologist at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH). Speaking at a programme held at AKUH auditorium, under the Hospital's 'Signs, Symptoms and Care' series, Dr Ali said that in most cases, jaundice which may develop in newborns goes away after a week or two without any treatment, but occasionally it can affect a baby's brain. That is the reason doctors always watch jaundice in babies very carefully, in order that the condition might be treated before it reaches an undesirable level. Though approximately half of all babies develop jaundice in their first week of life, the condition may not be diagnosed until some time after the mother and child are back at home. It may be especially difficult to tell if the baby's skin is yellow, especially in cases of dark skin: in such cases, mothers and other family members should look at the baby's eyes for a yellow tinge.

Dr Maqbool Qadir, Consultant Neonatologist at AKUH, in his presentation 'Rash in Newborns' highlighted the fact that there are a number of skin conditions considered normal in newborns. Clarifying that most rashes are benign and require no treatment,

Dr Qadir displayed several slides on different kinds of rashes, explaining relevant features of each type. As stated by him, the purpose was to make people aware of common skin rashes seen in newborns.

The final presentation was by Dr Shakeel Ahmed, Consultant Paediatrician and Rheumatologist at AKUH, whose topic was 'Arthritis in Children'. Explaining that arthritis is a common manifestation in children, he stated that approximately one child in a thousand develops some type of juvenile arthritis. There are many causes of childhood arthritis and those that are of more than 6 weeks' duration require a multidisciplinary approach. Referring to pain in children's joints, Dr Ahmed stressed that this needs to be taken seriously and a specialist in this field should be definitely consulted.

He also highlighted the common conditions related to childhood arthritis and their presentation and management.

As part of its outreach programme and societal commitment to creating awareness of early diagnosis and timely treatment, AKUH has organised over 240 'Signs, Symptoms and Care' programmes in Karachi, Hyderabad, Quetta and the UAE, benefiting more than 40,000 people. Similarly, Aga Khan University Hospital's Patient Welfare Programme offers financial assistance to those patients who are unable to afford the medical cost of treatment. In 2006, 74 per cent of all patients treated at AKUH were from low- to middle-income groups. Since the inception of this welfare programme in 1986, over Rs. 1.6 billion has been disbursed to more than 300,000 needy patients.