Any reason for the yellowish color? Any cause for alarm? What should we do? Gerry, Carmichael, CA
A. It depends on whether or not he really is jaundiced. Some infants and toddlers can have a yellowish appearance to their skin without being jaundiced. These children have yellow skin because they may eat a lot of foods that are high in carotene, like carrots and squash, leading to carotenemia.
However, in this case, since your child is sick and vomiting, he may really be jaundiced and could have hepatitis. In addition to jaundice, other symptoms of children with Hepatitis A, can have fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, diarrhea, and fever.
Are the while parts of his eyes yellow? If so, you should call your Pediatrician and see if he needs to be tested for hepatitis.
