Carotene jaundice in a child is not a disease. It is a syndrome in which the skin becomes yellow or orange due to the fact that beta-carotene accumulates in the cellular structures of the dermis.
Many diseases are associated with such symptoms (especially with the gall bladder and liver), so you need to be able to distinguish them. If the child's body turns yellow, then you must immediately go to the hospital.
Features
False jaundice (pseudo-jaundice) is another name for this syndrome. It is a physiological response to an excess of beta-carotene (this is provitamin A) in the human body.
A similar phenomenon occurs due to excessive consumption of food with a high concentration of such a compound. Beta-carotene is present in large quantities in vegetables and fruits in yellow, red or orange. For example, these are tangerines and other citrus fruits, carrots, bell peppers of the corresponding color, pumpkin, apricots, persimmons.
Beta-carotene is a fat-soluble substance. In other words, in order for it to be absorbed, fats are required - vegetable or animal. Carotene is converted to vitamin A in the cellular structures of the liver. If a person eats a lot of foods that contain carotene, but at the same time a sufficient amount of fat does not enter the body, an excess occurs. Free carotene molecules penetrate the bloodstream, causing the skin to turn yellow.
Factors
In children, this problem is diagnosed more often. This is mainly due to the following factors:
- The consumption of a large number of carotene-rich foods. So that the child does not have vitamin deficiency, many parents prefer to feed their children healthy fruits and vegetables.
- The use by a woman during breastfeeding of a large number of products with coloring compounds, because of which pigmentation appears in the baby.
- Incorrect introduction of food from pumpkin, carrot or spinach in children in the first year of life.
By the way, similar pigmentation appears even in infants, if every day they are bathed in water with a decoction of a succession. This plant contains a lot of carotene, which colors the baby's body.
The difference between carotene jaundice from other forms
There are several varieties of real (true) jaundice. The causes of such pathologies are the following:
- insufficient binding of the bile pigment with bilirubin hepatocytes;
- the rapid breakdown of red blood cells, due to which a large amount of bilirubin enters the bloodstream;
- clogging of the bile ducts, which is why bilirubin is not excreted from the digestive tract.
A similar condition provokes severe pathologies of the hepatobiliary system. Manifested by yellowness of the skin, mucous membranes, eye sclera. If such symptoms occur, then you must immediately go to the hospital so that the doctor makes an accurate diagnosis and conduct appropriate treatment.
Carotene jaundice develops due to other triggering factors. It is less dangerous for the health of the child. Doctors often call this form false jaundice. It has similar manifestations with hepatic pathologies, but there are also distinctive symptoms by which the doctor makes an accurate diagnosis.
What is characteristic
Symptoms of carotene jaundice in children (pictured) imply the following:
- the skin becomes more orange (and with liver disease - bronze);
- staining is uneven. it is more pronounced around the nose and lips, on the cheekbones, palms, feet;
- eye protein does not change color - this is the main difference from true jaundice.
With false jaundice, the overall health of the child does not get worse. Heat does not appear - body temperature is stable. Pain under the ribs on the right side also does not occur. Urine does not darken, and feces do not lighten. Blood test results show that the amount of bilirubin in the blood remains normal.
It is also important to distinguish carotene jaundice from an excess of vitamin A (retinol hypervitaminosis). This substance acts on the human body more aggressively. It provokes malfunctions in the functioning of internal organs. This also applies to carotenoderma, which occurs in the form of edema and peeling of the skin.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis with carotene jaundice involves the exclusion of other causes that could cause this condition. The pediatrician must examine the skin and sclera. When he discovers a physiological hue of the mucous membranes, he clarifies with the mother the nuances of lactation, the introduction of complementary foods, and her diet. If the child is already more adult, then the features of his nutrition are specified.
After that, the doctor prescribes laboratory tests and other procedures that are performed for differential diagnosis between different varieties of jaundice.
What causes yellowness
A change in the shade of the skin and mucous membranes can be caused by the following:
- Stagnant processes with bile. The problem can arise due to stagnant processes during the development of biliary channels or their transmission by a tumor. In this case, jaundice lasts more than a month.
- Viral hepatitis (B, C, Botkin). It develops due to the fact that the baby becomes infected during childbirth by contact with the mother’s blood and damaged mucous layers.
- Medicinal hepatitis. It develops due to an overdose of toxic drugs, which can damage liver cells. Because of this, yellowness of the skin appears.
- Massive hemolysis of red blood cells. They are destroyed due to severe intoxication. Because of this, a large amount of bilirubin enters the bloodstream, which leads to yellowing of the skin.
- Genetic diseases associated with a lack of liver enzymes that are used for bilirubin utilization.
The nuclear form of jaundice is especially dangerous, since bilirubin has a toxic effect on the central nervous system. The child (especially if it is a newborn) becomes inhibited. Cramps may occur, coma. That is why it is extremely important to establish a diagnosis as early as possible. And if there is suspicion of carotene jaundice, then an additional examination is carried out to check the absence of other pathologies of the liver and biliary system. Be sure to conduct a biochemical blood test, ultrasound.
Treatment
Symptoms and treatment of carotene jaundice in children are interrelated. It is not a pathology, so specific therapy is not required for the child. But if the gastroenterologist has doubts about the diagnosis, then he is sent for an additional examination to an infectious disease specialist, endocrinologist, hematologist to exclude other options.
Treatment of carotene jaundice involves only a transition to a special diet and refusal to take medications that can cause pigmentation. If, in addition to yellowness of the skin, symptoms of an allergic reaction also appear, then antihistamines are prescribed. For example, "Tsetrin", "Erius", "Claritin", "Zodak" are suitable. Children are prescribed only drops and syrups, and adults are picked up tablets.
Diet
Switching to a diet will not give an instant effect. To remove excess carotene from the body of the child, it will take about a couple of months to a year. The gastroenterologist selects the right diet. Usually he advises to exclude the following foods from the menu:
- carrots (it contains carotene more than any other);
- pumpkin;
- Tomatoes
- bell pepper yellow and red;
- peaches;
- apricots and dried apricots;
- melons
- sea buckthorn;
- rosehip;
- prunes
- various exotic fruits, including citrus fruits;
- greens (especially spinach, sorrel and parsley).
Thinking through the menu for every day, you need to remember that a certain amount of coloring compound is also present in potatoes, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, green beans, beets, green peas, watermelon, plums. Dairy and dairy products are also included in this list. This is especially true for butter. A large amount of vitamin A, which causes pigmentation, is present in eggs, cheese, fat cottage cheese, fish oil, and liver.
In order not to start a change in the color of the skin caused by such a substance, it is required to use the listed products saturated with beta-carotene in a limited amount. Then the coloring compound can be timely removed from the body of the child, and not accumulate in the tissues.
This applies not only to the diet of the child. The rules apply to the diet of a nursing mother, if the baby has yellowed skin. Before introducing complementary foods, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician. It will help to make a suitable menu depending on the age of the newborn and his needs.
Recommendations
Another important point: ultraviolet radiation accelerates the decay of carotene. Because of this, children and adults with false jaundice are recommended to walk more often in sunny places. In winter, special UV lamps can make up for this.
Conclusion
Thus, carotene jaundice is not considered a dangerous condition. It arises only because of the excess amount of carotene in the blood, which passes into other tissues, including the skin. In this case, false jaundice is not associated with pathologies of the liver or biliary system.
Nevertheless, it is often confused due to the appearance in the child of a yellowish-orange skin tone. However, there is no specific treatment for this condition. That is, wondering how long carotene jaundice passes through in a child, it’s enough to switch to a different diet as an answer, limiting the use of foods rich in vitamin A. As a result, all the symptoms will disappear on their own, although not immediately.
Despite the fact that carotene jaundice is a fairly harmless state, do not neglect the advice of doctors and self-medicate so as not to worsen the condition of the child. At the first suspicious symptoms, it is recommended to contact the clinic and undergo an examination to prescribe complex therapy and receive recommendations regarding the diet.