JAKARTA - The habit of drying babies in the morning sun is often considered a natural solution to overcome various health problems, including yellow disease in newborns.
However, this assumption is not entirely correct. Although sunlight has certain benefits, its use as a form of key therapy for yellow diseases needs to be straightened out.
neonatology consultant pediatrician from the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), dr. Rosalina Dewi Roeslani, Sp.A(K), explained that drying babies cannot be used as a treatment method to treat jaundice (hyperbilirubina).
"Dripping babies is not a form of therapy to cure or prevent yellow. Sunlight does contain a light spectrum that can help break down bilirubin, but the effect is limited and not the main solution," he said in a webinar monitored from Jakarta, Monday.
He added that the positive effect of sunlight is only to help penetrate light, not to solve the main problem of high bilirubin levels in babies. Therefore, proper medical action is still needed if the baby shows worrying yellow symptoms.
In practice, drying babies also needs to pay attention to a number of important factors. One of them is the baby's weight. Babies weighing below 2,500 grams, for example, are prone to hypothermia if they are dried in the sun without clothes.
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In addition, the time and duration of sunbathing is also very decisive. "Don't dry your child after 12 noon because the ultraviolet light is too high and can be risky. Ideally only a few minutes in the morning, no more than an hour," explained dr. Rosalina.
He revealed that the history of the use of rays in handling yellow diseases began with an observation in the UK, where babies who were accidentally exposed to sunlight from the window showed a decrease in bilirubin levels. This discovery later became the basis for the development of modern beam therapy or phototherapy, which is currently standard in baby care with hyperbilirubemia.
Yellow disease in newborns, especially in the first 28 days of life, is caused by buildup of bilirubin in the body. This condition is more common in premature babies, and if left untreated can cause serious complications, including permanent brain damage.
"Accumulating bilirubin can penetrate the brain's sawar and trigger conditions that cannot be returned. So, early diagnosis and treatment are very important," he said.
He emphasized that the yellow disease in babies can be acute or chronic. Therefore, parents are advised not to rely on myths or old habits, but to consult with medical personnel so that the baby gets treatment according to their medical needs.
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