AboutDavid Olson, MD Expertise I would be happy to attempt to answer any questions about general pediatric topics, either medical issues or behavioral issues. This would include all the various questions one receives in a busy pediatric practice. I`m a board certified pediatrician in northern Michigan and have been in practice for over 15 years. I enjoy the teaching role I have in our practice and would enjoy the opportunity to help others with their pediatric problems.
Question Dr Olson, You did such a good job on answering our previous question that I thought I would ask you another.
Our little girl has a mild form of syndactly. The surgeon at Bethseda Naval Hospital wants to do corrective surgery on April 25. He expects no complications and good results.
However, he remarked about our little girl's skin color. He said that she had a slight yellow tinge. He wanted to get a clearance from her regular pediatrician about her skin color before he operated. Though he didn't say, I suspect he thought she may have jaunduce. I really can't see much if any yellow tint to her skin myself but we went to her pediatrician as directed.
The pediatrician thought that her slight yellowish tint may be caused by overconsumption of vegetables and fruits with betacarotene. He ordered blood tests and told us (by phone) that everything was normal in her blood tests except she had a high level of betacarotene. He told us to stop feeding her foods high in betacarotene.
We are seeing this pediatrician today and I am concerned that he will want to delay the surgery (it is very difficult to get a surgery appt for hands at Bethseda). Based upon what I read from Internet articles, it is almost impossible to get an overdose of betacarotene from food alone and, if you do, it manifests itself on one's hands and feet -- not on the other parts of the body. Our little girl has no such symtoms. Moreover, the articles I read indicate betacarotene is not dangerous and the body eliminates whatever it doesn't need. Please indicate your opinion on the risks or lack thereof of to our little girl if indeed there is an overconsumption of betacarotene. Frankly, I am a little skeptical of this pediatrician's interpretation of the blood lab results and his interpretation of the risk to the health of our child even if there is a significantly high level of betacarotene in her body. I certainly am skeptical if he says today at our appt that he doesn't want her to have surgery until her betacarotene levels go down.
Thanks Alan Cartwright
Answer Hi, Alan,
Frankly I think this is a bit silly. Lots of kids in the age of 9-18 months have a yellow color to the skin, caused by eating a lot of vegetables and fruit that contain beta carotene. This is called carotenemia. They have white sclera in their eyes and therefore one can visually tell they have no jaundice.
I have never in my professional life ordered a beta carotene level or done any blood tests in this healthy situation. I have always thought that this is indicative of a healthy diet and there is no medical significance to it.
I would not even call it over consumption; I would call it eating well and it will have no bearing on her surgery.
Again, I think this is all a bit silly and the surgeon is poorly informed about this normal variation we see in kids.
