First-time parents divert all their attention to their babies when they are born. Now that the age of technology is fast rising, the internet has been the number 1 source of communication for people. Social media has been booming for years now, and almost 95% of the population around the world communicates to family and friends through these sources. At this age of online sharing, proud parents have been posting photos of their babies on their social media pages, including updates on their daily lives.
A new father shared a photo which was supposedly a hilarious experience of his baby daughter being bathed for the first time. The photo showed his daughter with a facial expression that she was about to cry, which in ordinary circumstances, would look hilarious. He received various reactions and several comments on the photo he shared. However, there was 1 particular comment that caught his attention. Eventually, it saved his daughter’s life.
Many of his followers responded enthusiastically:
“You betrayed her tiny trust.”
“I trusted you. 😭 ~ baby daughter”
“Ohhhhh goodness! That little chin wrinkle! There is so much ANGER in her face.”
However, one particular comment caught the attention of the new father.
The comment stated that the baby’s eyes were yellow, although it may have been the lighting in the bathroom where she bathed. However, the doctor observed the photo further and commented:
“Are her eyes a bit yellow? Looks a bit like it to me, but the whole picture is a bit yellow-tinted. Probably fine, but jaundice is a symptom of ‘Hyperbilirubinemia’ in babies, which is very common in the first few days/weeks of life. If her eyes/skin looks yellow IRL and she hasn’t seen a doc, she could possibly use a checkup! Source: I’m a paranoid pediatrician”
The father did not ignore the alarming comment and immediately took his daughter to a pediatrician for an examination. She indeed had mild jaundice!
Although untreated jaundice, even in its mild state, can cause serious brain damage, the baby’s symptoms were prevented from escalating further when the father listened to the online doctor’s advice.
People can be unaware of the real situation when viewing updates online. Some of them can also be spam, false information circulating the internet. In this age of the internet and the rising number of fake news spreading on social media, netizens should distinguish the authenticity of the information and be aware of more important news for everyone. To be safe than sorry, the newbie father took his chances for his baby’s safety.
Images credits: Rolloid, The Mirror UK, Primrose Schools
