Jaundice in newborn monitoring using color detection method

Abstract

Jaundice is a yellow discoloration of the skin and/or whites of the eyes that is often seen in newborn infants. The discoloration is caused by a yellow substance called bilirubin. Infants with high blood levels of bilirubin, called hyperbilirubinemia, develop the yellow color when bilirubin accumulates in the skin. The main symptom of jaundice is yellow colouring of the skin and conjunctiva of the eyes. Jaundice can also make babies sleepy which can lead to poor feeding. Poor feeding can make jaundice worse as the baby can become dehydrated. If a baby has conjugated jaundice, it may have white chalky stool (poo) and urine that is darker than normal. (The bilirubin that normally colours the stool is excreted in the urine.) Jaundice is not a disease but is a symptom of an elevated blood bilirubin level. Jaundice is not painful, but serious complications can occur if elevated bilirubin levels are not treated in a timely manner. Jaundice is a marker used to identify those infants who may be at risk for developing severe hyperbilirubinemia. Severe hyperbilirubinemia can be toxic to the nervous system of infants, potentially causing brain damage. Because many of these infants require care from multiple medical disciplines, coordination of care is another important role for the family physician. Thus, the goals of this paper are to promote a new first aid of jaundice newborn monitoring. A simple color detection method was employed to study the behaviour of the infant. The experimental results reveal that the proposed method can minimize the morbidity and mortality than the conventional method.