Not Exactly Yellow Fever, But...

Nia has intermediate jaundice. We're told 90% of all newborns suffer jaundice to one degree or another, but this statistic does little to alleviate our concerns. After all, this is our 4 day old daughter. You can tell first time parents that illness is a part of life and must be expected, but we don't have to believe it, do we? We will forever strive to do everything for Nia that is within our control. But we have difficulty accepting those things that we cannot control. Of course, this is nothing new. But having our first baby has really driven the point home for us.

Nia's bilirubin spiked to 16.0 mg/dL Saturday morning. Our pediatrician recommended another test be performed that evening and if still rising, Nia would be admitted back to the hospital for phototherapy. Fortunately, Nia's evening test showed declining bilirubin (15.8 mg/dL) and we were allowed to stay home for the night. We'll be heading back in for another test at 5pm this evening. We've noticed Nia's eyes have changed from the yellow of yesterday to a whiter tinge today. We're looking for a low number tonight!

For the record, I had severe jaundice at birth. My parents simply set me out in the sun and hoped for the best. I turned out pretty well (hold all jokes!) so I guess it worked . Well, like father like daughter: only a day after coming home, Nia was chillin' in the sun by the pool...not a bad life at all!