What is neonatal jaundice?
Neonatal jaundice (or hyperbilirubinemia) is a higher-than-normal level of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a by-product of the breakdown of red blood cells. This condition can cause a yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes
called jaundice.
Neonatal jaundice is usually harmless. This condition is often seen in babies around the second day after birth, lasting till day 8 in normal births, or to around day 14 in premature births. Serum bilirubin normally drops to a low level without any intervention required: the jaundice is presumably a consequence of metabolic and physiological adjustments after birth. Infants with neonatal jaudice are typically treated by exposing them to high levels of blue light which breaks down the bilirubin. Brief exposure to direct sunlight each day and breastfeeding are also helpful. Bilirubin has a toxic effect on the brain known as kernicterus. That is the chief reason for neonatal jaundice to be treated.
In neonates, jaundice tends to develop because of two factors - the breakdown of fetal hemoglobin as it is replaced with "normal" hemoglobin and the relatively immature hepatic metabolic pathways which are unable to conjugate bilirubin as fast as an adult. If the neonatal jaundice does not clear up with simple phototherapy, other causes such as biliary atresia should be considered. |
