Baby Marcell
June 2, 2024
In 2023, Baby Marcell was born at St. Luke's Hospital in Sioux City, IA. Marcell was a beautiful, healthy baby. When at the hospital, they noticed some yellowing in her eyes and she was diagnosed with newborn jaundice.
ABOUT NEWBORN JAUNDICE: This is when a newborn baby's skin and the white parts of the eyes look yellow. It's caused by the build-up of a substance in the blood called bilirubin. Newborn jaundice is very common—about 3 in 5 babies (60 percent) have jaundice. Jaundice usually happens a few days after birth. Jaundice is more common in premature babies and some breastfed babies. It usually appears on the second or third day after birth and can resolve on its own within a week. By the time a baby is around two weeks old, their liver is more effective at removing bilirubin and they're producing less of it, so the jaundice often corrects itself without causing any harm.
When baby Marcell came home to her family in Winnebago in the first week after birth, her mother brought to WCHS Primary Care Clinic several times a week to monitor the jaundice until it cleared up. Then, they came for regular post natal and well-child checks for mom and baby each week after that.
When baby Marcell was only two weeks old, her parents noticed a rash going up her back and became alarmed. They immediately brought her to the emergency room for an exam. The emergency room met with the family, calmly and efficiently checking them in and examining Marcell. They diagnosed and prescribed a special lotion from the WCHS Pharmacy to be applied daily and ensured a follow up visit with WCHS Primary Care Physician was scheduled.
The lotion worked to calm the rash over the next couple of days before the next appointment. Both Marcell and her mother have been consistently attending well child and post natal appointments. When Marcell reaches 2 these will drop down to a less frequent annual preventative primary, dental, and optometry exam.
We asked Marcell's Mom about the care she received at WCHS. "When you are a new mother it can be hard to navigate all the conflicting advice you hear and read, WCHS made it easy to come, ask questions, and feel supported as we worked together to navigate concerns and ensure Marcell was meeting all her milestones. She is doing so well, she is such a happy/smart/easy baby. I am grateful that we have local easy access to compassionate health services for my entire family," says Marcell's mom.