Doctor warns mothers to stop using camphor in babies’ clothes
A paediatrician at the Bono Regional Hospital in Sunyani, Dr. Bright Asiamah, has called on mothers to stop using naphthalene balls in their babies’ clothes.
He said that naphthalene balls can cause jaundice, a condition that causes the skin and eyes to turn yellow.
Newborn jaundice is a common condition that occurs in about 60% of babies. It is caused by a buildup of bilirubin, a yellow pigment, in the blood. Bilirubin is produced when red blood cells break down. In newborns, the liver is not fully developed and cannot remove bilirubin from the blood as quickly as it should.
Naphthalene balls are made of a substance called camphor. Camphor can break down red blood cells, which can lead to jaundice.
Dr. Asiamah said that mothers should stop using naphthalene balls in their bab...
