A child's yellow skin is not necessarily a sign of hepatitis. As a parent, you may not know that if your child eats too many oranges, their skin can also turn yellow.
This is because the concentration of carotene in the blood greatly exceeds the normal level, surpassing the body's metabolic capacity. The excess carotene is not excreted in time and accumulates in the body, depositing in the skin. This condition is medically known as carotenemia.
The characteristics of this condition are as follows:
1. It often appears in areas with the thickest stratum corneum, such as the palms and soles.
2. The nasal openings, nasolabial folds, forehead, and behind the ears may also turn yellow. In severe cases, the entire body can become yellow.
3. It is not itchy, and the sclera (the white part of the eye) does not become yellow, which helps to differentiate it from jaundice caused by hepatitis.
If your child has carotenemia, there is no need to worry. Simply stop consuming foods rich in carotene, and no treatment is required. The yellowing of the skin will subside on its own.