Der Mensch ist, was er iβt
You are what you eat

German philosopher Feuerbach

Many parents come to us because they notice yellow discoloration on their child’s body. Parents naturally worry that the child has developed jaundice. There are many causes of jaundice, and quite a few may be significant with severe consequences if undiagnosed and untreated. It is always better to visit your pediatrician when you have the slightest doubt about yellowish discoloration of the body.

As a pediatrician, I see an increasing number of children with yellow discoloration on their bodies (with an orange hue), especially on the palms and soles of the feet. The white portion of their eyes is as white as ever! These children usually have no other symptoms and are quite well and playful. There has been no change in their appetite (Almost every parent feels that their child eats too little!)

There can be too much of a good thing!

Responsible Parenting

After noticing This discordance, I immediately ask for the dietary history of the child, and the parents have been religiously feeding their child fairly large amounts of carrots and spinach. These are excellent food items for the growing child and are rich in fiber, iron, vitamins, and other nutrients. However, they contain significant amounts of carotene. Carotene is a pigment that stains the skin yellowish-orange, and excess consumption of carotene-containing foods can cause this discoloration (carotenemia).

Comic artists have used Bugs Bunny & Popeye responsibly (but woefully, both have large amounts of violence) to promote healthy eating. But, please do everything in moderation!

Fortunately, the treatment is quite easy. First and foremost, visit your pediatrician and let him/her examine the child. Temporarily stop eating carotene-rich food, such as carrots, papaya, mango, apricots, cantaloupe, asparagus, beets, and kale!. The pigment will disappear by itself after a few days. Don’t forget to restart healthy food habits, or your child could suffer nutritional deficiencies and constipation. Constipation is the numero uno problem in children, especially in the urban and upwardly mobile population. Treating constipation can be a long, drawn-out, and difficult affair.