Many experts call jaundice false, since it does not occur against the background of liver disorders or an inflammatory process. Liver enzymes and bilirubin in the blood usually remain normal.

Reasons

Why does carotene jaundice occur in children? Below are the reasons for its occurrence:

1. Overdose of beta-carotene. Excessive intake of vitamin A leads to keratin jaundice. Many mothers, in order to enrich their children’s bodies with vitamins, include them in their diet. As a result, it accumulates in the layers of the epidermis, which is manifested by a change in pigmentation.
2. Eating foods containing large amounts of beta-carotene. These include:
   • oranges;
   • tangerines;
   • pumpkin;
   • carrot.
     Caring parents and grandparents are trying to make sure their children are healthy and cheerful. But we must remember that everything is good in moderation. Any vitamin, if overdosed, will negatively affect human health.
3. Carotene jaundice can occur when the child is offered the above products for the first time and in large quantities, rather than being introduced gradually. For example, a mother introduces complementary foods in the form of pumpkin or carrot puree. The child liked the puree and his mother stubbornly continues to feed him it every day. As a result, at an appointment with a specialist, children are diagnosed with “carotene jaundice.”

Treatment

The disease is manifested only by changed pigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes. There is no load on the liver and other organs. Many experts claim that carotene jaundice has no consequences and will not harm human health. However, there is an opinion that excessive carotene content in the body is very harmful.

The color of the skin changes unevenly, the brightest areas are located on the palms, soles, in the area of ​​the nasolabial triangle and ears. Bilirubin in the blood almost always remains normal. The exception is when the disease is combined with Reye's syndrome. It is extremely difficult and rare form carotene jaundice, which can manifest as dyspeptic disorders, changes in the amount of bilirubin, convulsions and loss of consciousness. As a result of examination of the liver, its fatty degeneration is revealed. Conjugated bilirubin may increase slightly, and hypoglycemia is sometimes observed.

If there are abnormalities in liver function and an increase in bilirubin, the patient is referred for additional diagnostic measures and carry out symptomatic treatment.

There is no need for any therapy. Since the only manifestation of the disease is the color of the skin due to the consumption of foods rich in carotene, it must be completely excluded from the diet. Will be back in a couple of months normal color skin, and after about a year, excess beta-carotene will be eliminated from the body.

Many experts recommend that patients with carotene jaundice spend more time in the sun. This is done to even out the pigmentation of the skin.

When a child experiences a change in skin color, it is necessary to seek advice from a specialist. Only after conducting a medical examination and collecting an anamnesis of life and illness, the doctor will make a final diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Useful video about jaundice in children

Proper functioning of the liver is the key to health and wellness. If such unpleasant symptoms If you experience bitterness in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, dark urine and diarrhea, you should rush to see a doctor. Most likely, problems have arisen with this important organ.

But sometimes they can be associated with excessive consumption of carrot juice, tangerines, and other yellow or green vegetables and fruits. This is what is called carotene jaundice.

It is characterized by uneven coloration of the skin compared to hepatitis B. The yellowness of the sclera may also be completely absent. Carotene jaundice is not a disease and does not require intensive care.

General condition human health does not deteriorate. There are usually no complications. Doctors consider this jaundice to be false. It is based on a nutritional factor. Diseases circulatory system or damage to the hepatobiliary tract is not observed in this case.

What is it?

With carotene jaundice, the general condition of the patient is not disturbed. The disease is not a serious pathology and does not lead to malfunctions of the liver and gall bladder.

Bilirubin and enzymes secreted by the liver are also normal. The whites of the eyes have a normal healthy color.

If the color of the protein changes to yellow or orange, you should immediately consult a doctor, as this is evidence of excess bilirubin in the blood. In this case, the likelihood of complications and the development of liver pathology, which can be fatal, increases.

Development of the disease

The skin and mucous membranes acquire a yellowish tint due to an increase in bilirubin levels in the blood. Many newborn babies experience jaundice after birth. Very quickly them skin acquire their usual color. This is due to the fact that the liver of a newborn baby adapts to new conditions.

If yellowness of the skin persists for a long time, the doctor will prescribe treatment to reduce bilirubin levels. This substance is not soluble in water and is not excreted in urine. Sometimes there may be a risk of developing seizures in premature babies. This type jaundice differs from other types in its mild course and favorable outcome.

Prevalence and factors of squeaking

The disease is widespread in newborns, but goes away quite quickly. It can also develop in breastfed children if the mother violates the diet. In adults, such jaundice occurs much less frequently.

Reasons for appearance

TO this symptom leads to excessive consumption of foods rich in vitamin A. These include carrots, pumpkin, tangerines and oranges. When there is an excess of this vitamin in the human body, jaundice develops. As a result, yellow pigmentation appears on the skin. You need to focus on the needs of the body, which will signal the need to take a particular product.

No need:

• abuse biologically active additives containing vitamin A;
• eat too many foods enriched with carotene.

To exclude the development of a dangerous disease, if any jaundice occurs, you must consult a doctor. He will prescribe a series of examinations and, based on the results, make a final diagnosis.

Signs

With carotene jaundice, pigmentation of the sclera, mucous membranes and skin occurs. Most often, apart from these phenomena, no danger arises. But as complications develop in the liver, signs such as

• hepatomegaly;
• loss of consciousness;
• repeated vomiting;
• hemorrhagic manifestations;
• coma;
• convulsions;
• hypoglycemia;
• increased content of conjugated bilirubin;
• metabolic acidosis;
• respiratory alkalosis;
• disturbances in the hemostatic system.

For staging accurate diagnosis diseases are prescribed:

• liver biopsy;
• biochemical analysis blood;
• general blood test;
• determination of bilirubin content in the blood.

Treatment

Carotene jaundice is treated in the same way as hepatitis A. But recommendations for the treatment of such patients must be detailed, since the symptom may be the result of the formation chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver. You can cope with the disease by refusing certain products within two months. But sometimes complete leaching of carotene occurs only within a few years.

The accumulation of beta-carotene in the epithelium often affects the patient’s natural complexion. Tanning helps to veil this skin tone. Doctors advise patients with symptoms of carotene jaundice to exclude pumpkin and other orange fruits from high content carotene from food.

Also, patients with jaundice should change their lifestyle and spend more time in the sun. Ultraviolet rays will quickly destroy carotene. Walking on a walk is useful for this disease. fresh air And sunbathing. They strengthen immune system and improve human health. If the patient's condition worsens, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor.

Drugs and surgical treatment

Because the only symptom This type of jaundice is yellowing of the skin, then specific treatment not required. None medications for the treatment of such jaundice it is not necessary to use it. Extracorporeal methods of blood purification are not prescribed in this case.

Carotene jaundice is not treated with surgery.

Folk remedies

To eliminate yellow skin tint, adults can use the following products:

• infusion of calamus root;
• infusion of celandine;
• a mixture of Cahors, honey and aloe always gives a positive result;

But they must be combined with traditional treatment.

Diet

With a diagnosis of carotene jaundice, there are no symptoms of intoxication or liver damage. But for prevention it is better to avoid citrus fruits, fruit mixtures, fortified juices.

Excess bilirubin can lead to serious liver problems. It will take a lot of effort to treat it.

Use fatty foods prohibited. You need to eat boiled vegetables, cereals, pasta, vegetarian soups. It is not advisable to consume sweet foods and milk. Diet food for this type of jaundice, products with retinol and carotene should be excluded. This sweet pepper, peaches, sea buckthorn, citrus fruits, carrots, rose hips, dried fruits, apricots.

Products with retinol:

• eggs;
• fish oil;
• liver;
• fermented milk products.

It is advisable to drink more fluids in the form of water, green tea, compote or mineral water.

Prevention

For prevention, it is recommended to consume foods containing carotene in limited quantities. Thus, the dye will be promptly removed from the body. It will also be possible to prevent its accumulation in the body. Thanks to proper nutrition, you can normalize metabolism and provide the body with the substances necessary for health.

Conclusion

1. Carotene jaundice appears when there is an excess of carotene and retinol in the body. This occurs when consuming foods with high content of these substances.
2. This disease does not require special treatment. It is important to follow a strict diet and spend more time in the fresh air.
3. Folk remedies will help quickly remove pigmentation on the skin and mucous membranes.
4. In newborn babies, such jaundice is quite common.
5. To avoid complications and development dangerous pathologies If your skin turns yellow, you should consult a doctor.

Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist, Infectious disease specialist

Diagnoses, carries out prevention and treatment of stomach ulcers, gastritis, hepatitis, dysbacteriosis, diarrhea, esophagitis, pancreatitis, flatulence, constipation, colitis and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

It occurs due to an excess of pigment - carotene. It colors the skin and mucous membranes orange. The disease is called false jaundice because the pigmentation is not caused by bilirubin, as in the true form. Carotene jaundice does not cause changes in the blood picture and is not accompanied by dysfunction of internal organs.

True jaundice occurs due to liver damage or accelerated breakdown of red blood cells. The released bilirubin is not bound in the diseased organ. It circulates through the blood, settles in tissues and stains the skin.

Carotenoderma is a consequence of the accumulation of pigment, and it enters the body through nutrition (with food). The breakdown of food ends with absorption useful substances. But if there are not enough enzymes, not all compounds are broken down. In this form, they are not absorbed by the body; unprocessed molecules circulate through the blood and can change the functions of organs.

For carotene to appear under the skin, its concentration must be high, but small child A few weeks of a diet rich in provitamin A is enough. Changes in skin color in a child occur due to several factors:

• excess beta-carotene (provitamin A) in the diet;
• violation of the rules for introducing complementary foods;
• taking certain medications;
• non-compliance with diet by a nursing mother.

To enrich the child’s diet, parents and other loved ones begin to regularly give him orange-colored fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of beta-carotene. Daily use Such products lead to the accumulation of natural dye and its entry into the epithelium.

The introduction of complementary foods should occur gradually - domestic pediatricians and the WHO warn about this.

First, give the least allergenic vegetables, green and white, next on the list is pumpkin. After some time, the baby can try carrots. The timing of the introduction of a new product is 1-2 weeks from the previous one. If you increase the rate, carotene can provoke false jaundice.

Mothers who give carrot or pumpkin puree day after day, based on the fact that the child likes them, do the wrong thing. Dishes must be distributed so as to provide the baby with everything necessary substances and introduce them gradually.

If you give it once (for the first time) large dose(not 0.5 tsp, but 30-50 g) of new puree, this can cause infant reaction.

The quality and composition of the foods a woman eats affects her milk. A nursing mother should limit her intake of “dangerous” vegetables and fruits. Such products are exotic fruits (papaya, mango), as well as more common oranges, prunes, dried apricots, apricots and peaches, tomatoes, sweet peppers, rose hips, and offal.

In children and adults, carotenoderma may occur due to intake medicines containing quinine or picric acid. In an infant, the color of the skin changes from daily bathing in a series rich in provitamin A.

Symptoms of carotenoderma

The condition is characterized by the fact that the color of the skin changes, but the child feels well. Carotene jaundice differs from true jaundice in that the sclera and other mucous membranes remain unchanged.

Yellowing of the skin and sclera is the first sign of hepatitis, but safe skin coloring can be distinguished by other signs. The doctor reassures the parents if

• general condition is not impaired;
• the temperature remains unchanged;
• there is no discoloration of feces;
• laboratory data unchanged;
• skin itching is observed only occasionally;
• the color is distributed unevenly;
• lack of treatment does not lead to complications.

The skin with jaundice caused by hepatitis has a bronze tint. The color is distributed equally. Urine becomes the color of beer, and feces lose color. Bilirubin circulates through the blood and does not enter the intestines, which is why the stool has a lighter shade.

In case of carotene intoxication. Skin discoloration appears more on the palms and soles, approx. thumb and little finger, on the cheekbones, in the area of ​​the nasolabial triangle.

A laboratory sign of true jaundice is , for the binding of which the liver is responsible. If the indicator remains normal, the disease is not associated with dysfunction of this organ.

Carotene, since this category has an imperfect enzyme system. Because of this, the speed of digestion of fats and other substances is difficult. If there is a malnutrition, problems often arise: carotene undigested by the liver enters the blood, staining the skin.

Carotenoderma can be combined with Reye's syndrome, the targets of which are the liver and brain. The cause of the pathology is infection by viruses that cause chicken pox, respiratory disease or diarrhea. Taking aspirin can provoke the disease. In this case, it is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible. Delay is dangerous and fatal.

Treatment

Diagnosing jaundice in a child, especially a small one, is often difficult. Any health disorder produces a generalized reaction. To understand the situation, the doctor prescribes a general and biochemical blood and urine test.

If you consume excess beta-carotene in foods special treatment not required. It is necessary to exclude pigmented foods, broth, spicy dishes and pickled vegetables from the diet. Meals should consist of cereals and pasta, stewed meat and green vegetables. It takes several months for the skin color to become paler, but it takes a year to eliminate the consequences.

The diet should be long-term.

There is no drug treatment for carotenoderma; this type of jaundice is the mildest type. A visit to a solarium or natural tanning can help even out your skin tone. If itching bothers you, wipe the skin with water and lemon juice.

Symptoms of carotene jaundice can appear suddenly, sometimes even within 1 day, and it will take a year to eliminate its consequences, so you need to be careful about the nutrition of children, especially in the first year of life.

If your face and hands are yellow, don't panic; it may be carotene jaundice. But in order to distinguish such an ailment from a serious one liver pathology, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Carotene jaundice is an apricot-yellow discoloration of the skin due to the accumulation of beta-carotene (a source of vitamin A) in the skin cells.

True or false?

There are many varieties of true jaundice, and it can occur for the following reasons:

Liver cells do not bind bilirubin well. There is a process of rapid breakdown of red blood cells, due to which bilirubin enters the blood in high concentrations. blocked bile ducts, and bilirubin is not excreted through the gastrointestinal tract.

All these reasons can cause serious pathologies, external symptoms which is a change in the color of the skin, mucous membranes and whites of the eyes to golden yellow. When they occur, urgent treatment is required.

But there is another form of jaundice - carotene jaundice. Its symptoms are in many ways similar to those pathological lesions liver and gall bladder. But still, the reasons for its occurrence are completely different, and the degree of harm to the body in most cases is insignificant.

Many doctors call this type of jaundice false.

How does this form differ from more serious types:

Skin tone is closer to orange than bronze. The coloring spreads unevenly, the brightest areas appear on the feet, palms, on the cheekbones near the ears and in the area of ​​the nose and lips. The whites of the eyes practically do not change color, which immediately hints at the likelihood of this particular form of jaundice. The general condition is normal; feces and urine have not changed color.

Where does the strange pigmentation come from?

Symptoms of this physiological reaction of the body to carotene can appear in both adults and children. The reasons for the large amount of the substance in the body are simple - excessive consumption of beta-carotene-rich vegetables and fruits, for example, tangerines, oranges, pumpkins, carrots, persimmons, beets. Also, such coloring can arise as a response to excess intake picric acid or pharmaceuticals with Akrikhin.

More often, such jaundice still occurs in children. Some mothers and grandmothers go too far in trying to save their child from vitamin deficiency. The same most useful carrot juice V large quantities may cause hyperpigmentation.

And the second reason for the occurrence of such icteric syndrome concerns the youngest children.

This skin tone may be a reaction to trying a product for the first time with a high content of dye.

Their moms and dads may have something similar exotic fruits: I tried papaya on vacation, liked it, got carried away, and then my face became the color of a tropical fruit.

Children in the first year of life are brought to unusual color skin caring parents. The mother offered the baby carrot puree as complementary food, he ate it all, and the mother was happy to give him a healthy treat all the time.

The result is carotene jaundice.

How to get rid of an unpleasant condition?

Such jaundice is not classified as a pathology, and treatment with medications is not necessary.

How to return normal skin tone:

Completely exclude beta-carotene-rich foods from your diet and stop taking appropriate medications. It is not difficult to calculate the vegetables and fruits that affect skin pigmentation: they are yellow-orange or orange-red. It is worth remembering: the unnatural color will not go away quickly, after a couple of months it will become quite pale, but it will take a year to completely eliminate the reserves of the pigmenting substance. It is especially important to control the nutrition of children: one of their good relatives can treat them to tasty fruits. Get out into the sun more often or sign up for a solarium. This is not a treatment, but rather a cosmetic recommendation - tanning will even out the complexion of the face and body.

Many medical experts believe that this type of jaundice goes away on its own and without consequences for the health of adults and children, which means that treatment is not necessary.

The bilirubin level almost always remains normal, there is no load on the liver or other organs. An exception may be the case when this jaundice occurs simultaneously with Reye's syndrome. This is very serious illness, affecting the brain and liver. It occurs in children against the background of ARVI, chickenpox, viral diarrhea after taking antipyretics based on acetylsalicylic acid.

In this situation it is required serious treatment, otherwise death is possible.

That is why, if a yellow tint to your skin appears, you need to go to the clinic. If liver damage is suspected, the specialist will prescribe additional methods diagnostics: tests, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging. If there really are deviations in the functioning of the organs, the doctor will select the appropriate treatment.

The appearance of jaundice causes a fair feeling of fear and concern, because too many dangerous diseases are associated with this symptom. Precisely - “with a symptom”, since real jaundice is not an independent disease.

As a rule, the main etiological factor jaundice is hyperbilirubinemia (that is, an increase in the concentration of bilirubin (bile pigment) in the blood. But there are situations when yellowing of the skin is caused by false, or carotene, jaundice, which has nothing to do with the level of bilirubin. Why does it occur?

What is carotene jaundice?

The name of the pathology speaks for itself - it develops due to an excess amount of beta-carotene in the body. In turn, the deposition of this substance, which is the basic stage of the formation of vitamin A, occurs due to overuse products containing it.

Foods high in carotene include vegetables and fruits of bright orange, yellow and red colors - oranges, tangerines, carrots, pumpkin, apricots, sweet peppers and so on.

Of course, you need to “try” to eat enough carotene-containing foods to cause the deposition of beta-carotene in tissues. But, as it shows medical practice, quite a number of people succeed in this. Moreover, carotene jaundice is the most common in children, which indicates an excessive desire of their parents to saturate their children with vitamins.

Causes of false jaundice

Symptoms

The question about the symptoms of jaundice for the ear of a specialist sounds approximately like the tautology “symptoms of a symptom”, however, only in the case when we're talking about about true jaundice, which manifests itself against the background of diseases of the liver, gall bladder, some blood diseases, as well as alcohol poisoning. Another thing is carotene jaundice. The symptoms of this pathology, also called false jaundice, are somewhat different from standard jaundice.

The most a clear symptom carotene “jaundice” can be considered an unnaturally yellow, or even orange-yellow coloring of the skin, mainly on the feet and palms, especially in the area of ​​the little finger and thumb, and the absence of symptoms characteristic of real jaundice.

How to distinguish carotene jaundice from hepatitis and other diseases?

How does carotene jaundice differ from hepatitis and other diseases manifested by jaundice? First of all, the absence of other manifestations of jaundice that inevitably arise after yellowing eye sclera and skin:

darkening of urine; stool lightening; often - spider veins on the skin, itching and scratching; often - increased body temperature; often - pain in the right hypochondrium; increased level bilirubin in the blood.

If all these symptoms are absent, and the patient’s history reveals overeating of carotene-containing foods, carotene jaundice is diagnosed in both adults and children.

Treatment

Drug treatment of carotene “jaundice” is not required, unless, of course, it has developed in parallel with it allergic reaction. In the latter case, you may need antihistamines. But usually carotene jaundice does not require treatment. It is enough to exclude from the diet foods that cause excess beta-carotene. However, you should not expect immediate results - removing excess beta-carotene from the body can take from 2 to 12 months, or even more.

What foods should be excluded from the diet?

So, if carotene jaundice occurs in children, treatment will consist of completely eliminating the following foods from their diet:

carrots (it is the leader among vegetables in carotene content); sea ​​buckthorn; rosehip; pumpkins; melons, peaches, apricots and other bright yellow or orange fruits; tomatoes, red sweet peppers and other bright vegetables; animal liver and kidneys; greens (including onion feathers).

Cases of “jaundice” have been recorded as a result of daily bathing of babies in baths with a string; this plant is rich in carotene and can color the baby’s delicate skin a bright yellow color.

Adults should not forget that some amount of carotene is found in watermelons and plums, potatoes and dairy products (more in butter), Brussels sprouts and broccoli, green peas and green beans. To achieve therapeutic effect All these products should be abandoned for a while.

Useful video

For more information about false (carotene) jaundice, watch this video:

Conclusion

Carotene jaundice is not considered dangerous disease, it is called false because it does not manifest itself with a set of symptoms characteristic of true jaundice. To treat it, it is enough to exclude foods rich in carotene from the diet. When eating any food, even healthy fruits and vegetables, you must remember that what is healthy in large quantities is harmful. Home Liver Jaundice

Carotene jaundice is a type of disease characteristic of young children. age group. It is also called false jaundice. It received its name due to its occurrence not against the background of pathological ailments of the liver and inflammatory processes, and due to excessive consumption of foods with high level beta carotene. The disease is expressed in yellow color skin.

Causes and symptoms of the disease

The disease occurs in the following cases:

• Overdose of vitamin A. Carotene accumulates in the epidermis of children and manifests itself in a change in its color.
• Excessive consumption of foods containing beta-carotene. If a child consumes large quantities of carrots, oranges, and pumpkin puree, the risk of false jaundice increases.

The difference between this disease is the uneven coloration of the skin in a bright yellow color. First of all, the disease affects the ears and nose, then the feet and palms. But the sclera remains white. In some cases, intoxication of the body and liver damage also occur, but usually the child’s condition remains satisfactory, unlike other types of jaundice.

Carotene jaundice does not lead to consequences, so doctors do not prescribe any treatment. But it is still worth following some recommendations, because any substance exceeding normal level, harms the body. An overdose can have a particularly detrimental effect on the baby’s body.

Treatment of the disease in children

The basic rule for treating a child with carotene jaundice is proper nutrition. It is prohibited to use:

• deli meats and broths;
• pickled foods and pickles;
• black tea;
• chocolate and cream;
• fried and spicy foods;
• eggs.

Children should exclude foods containing beta-carotene from their diet: pumpkin, carrots, oranges, tangerines. Avoid feeding these foods fresh, processed, or as a supplement.

The child's menu should consist of dairy products, vegetables, steamed meat and fish, crackers, sweets (natural origin) and fruits.

At proper nutrition the skin will acquire a natural shade and the condition will improve.

For false jaundice in children, doctors recommend sun exposure. This treatment is associated with the fact that ultraviolet rays contribute to the disappearance of “carotene” stains, since carotene decomposes in the tissues of the body. Sometimes pediatricians advise using ultraviolet lamp, but its rays can easily cause skin burns, so be careful when using it.

If the spots do not decrease, you should consult your local pediatrician.

If there are abnormalities in the liver, doctors send the child for diagnostics and outpatient treatment. But it is believed that you can fight the disease at home.