Carotenemia - Pediatric Oncall

4th Pediatric Infectious Diseases Conference

ISSN 0973 - 0958

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Question
My daughter-in-law is worried about her son aged 16 months who has developed "orange" colored skin on his hands and also an orange tinge to his facial skin. She reports this seems to come and go. His natural coloring is slightly "carroty" though he does not have much hair yet. This does not appear to be the usual yellow of jaundice but we are nonetheless worried. He is normal in every other way and full of energy eating well etc. He has been prescribed antibiotics on a number of occasions for ear infections. Can you suggest if this is abnormal and if we should have him checked out?
Answer
Have him evaluated for a condition called as carotenemia. Carotenemia is a clinical condition characterized by yellow pigmentation of the skin and increased carotene levels in the blood. In the majority of cases, this condition follows prolonged and excessive consumption of carotene-rich foods, such as carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes. Carotene was first isolated in the yellow pigment of carrots. Cooking, pureeing, or mashing fruits and vegetables ruptures cell membranes, thereby increasing the bio-availability of carotene for absorption. Consumption of mashed or pureed food, which is common with infants, may account for an increased incidence of diet-induced carotenemia. It may rarely be associated with thyroid disorder or diabetes mellitus. Blood carotene levels can be done to confirm the diagnosis. Back to All Questions

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