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Infant jaundice


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Infant jaundice is a yellow discoloration of a newborn baby's skin and eyes. Infant jaundice occurs because the baby's blood contains an excess of bilirubin (bil-ih-ROO-bin), a yellow pigment of red blood cells. Infant jaundice is a common condition, particularly in babies born before 38 weeks' gestation (preterm babies) and some breast-fed babies. Infant jaundice usually occurs because a baby's liver isn't mature enough to get rid of bilirubin in the bloodstream. In some babies, an underlying disease may cause infant jaundice. Most infants born between 35 weeks' gestation and full term need no treatment for jaundice. Rarely, an unusually high blood level of bilirubin can place a newborn at risk of brain damage, particularly in the presence of certain risk factors for severe jaundice.

◾Symptoms
Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes—the main sign of infant jaundice—usually appears between the second and fourth days after birth.

To check for infant jaundice, press gently on your baby's forehead or nose. If the skin looks yellow where you press, it's likely your baby has mild jaundice. If your baby doesn't have jaundice, the skin color should simply look slightly lighter than its normal color for a moment.

Examine your baby in good lighting conditions, preferably in natural daylight.

When to see a doctor
Most hospitals have a policy of examining babies for jaundice before discharge. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that newborns be examined for jaundice during routine medical checks and at least every eight to 12 hours while in the hospital.

Your baby should be examined for jaundice between the third and seventh days after birth, when bilirubin levels usually peak. If your baby is discharged earlier than 72 hours after birth, make a follow-up appointment to look for jaundice within two days of discharge. The following signs or symptoms may indicate severe jaundice or complications from excess bilirubin: Call your doctor if:
🔸Your baby's skin becomes moreyellow.w
🔸The skin on your baby'sabdomen, arms,s or legs looksyellow.w
🔸The whites of your baby's eyes lookyellow.w
🔸Your baby seems listless, sickk or is difficult toawaken.n
🔸Your baby isn't gaining weight or is feedingpoorly.y
🔸Your baby makes high-pitchedcries.s
🔸Your baby develops any other signs or symptoms that concernyou.u

◾Causes
Excess bilirubin (hyperbilirubinemia) is the main cause of jaundice. Bilirubin, which is responsible for the yellow color of jaundice, is a normal part of the pigment released from the breakdown of "used" red blood cells.

◾Newborns produce more bilirubin than adults do because of greater production and faster breakdown of red blood cells in the first few days of life. Normally, the liver filters bilirubin from the bloodstream and releases it into the intestinal tract. A newborn's immature liver often can't remove bilirubin quickly enough, causing an excess of bilirubin. Jaundice due to these normal newborn conditions is called physiologic jaundice, and it typically appears on the second or third day of life.

◾Other causes
An underlying disorder may cause infant jaundice. In these cases, jaundice often appears much earlier or much later than the more common form of infant jaundice. Diseases or conditions that can cause jaundice include:

🔸Internal bleeding (hemorrhage)
🔸An infection in your baby's blood (sepsis)
🔸Other viral or bacterial infections
🔸An incompatibility between the mother's blood and the baby's blood
🔸A liver malfunction
🔸Biliary atresia, a condition in which the baby's bile ducts are blocked or scarred
🔸An enzyme deficiency
🔸An abnormality of your baby's red blood cells that causes them to break down rapidly

◾Risk factors
Major risk factors for jaundice, particularly severe jaundice that can cause complications, include:

🔸Premature birth. A baby born before 38 weeks of gestation may not be able to process bilirubin as quickly as full-term babies do.
🔸Premature babies mas also may feed less and have fewer bowel movements, resulting in less bilirubin eliminated through stool.
significantt bruising during birth Newborns who become bruisedduringe delivery may have higher levels of bilirubin from the breakdown of more red blood cells.
🔸Blood type. If the mother's blood type is different from her baby's, the baby may have received antibodies through the placenta thatcause ane abnormally rapid breakdown of red blood cells.
🔸Breast-feeding. Breast-fed babies, particularly those who have difficulty nursing or getting enough nutrition from breast-feeding, are at higher risk of jaundice. Dehydration or a low caloric intake may contribute to the onset of jaundice. However, because of the benefits of breast-feeding, experts still recommend it. It's important to make sure your baby gets enough to eat and is adequately hydrated.
🔸Race. Studies show that babies of East Asian ancestry have an increased risk of developing jaundice.

◾Complications
High levels of bilirubin that cause severe jaundice can result in serious complications if not treated.

acute bilirubin encephalopathy
Bilirubin is toxic to cells in the brain. If a baby has severe jaundice, there's a risk of bilirubin passing into the brain, a condition called acute bilirubin encephalopathy. Prompt treatment may prevent significant lasting damage.

Signs of acute bilirubin encephalopathy in a baby with jaundice include:
🔸Listlessness
🔸Difficulty waking
🔸High-pitched crying
🔸Poor sucking or feeding
🔸Backward arching of the neck and body
🔸Fever

◾ Kernicterus
Kernicterus is the syndrome that occurs if acute bilirubin encephalopathy causes permanent damage to the brain. Kernicterus may result in:
🔸Involuntary and uncontrolled movements (athetoid cerebral palsy)
🔸Permanent upward gaze
🔸Hearing loss
🔸Improper development of tooth enamel

◾Prevention
The best preventive measure for infant jaundice is adequate feeding. Breast-fed infants should have eight to 12 feedings a day for the first several days of life. Formula-fed infants usually should have 1 to 2 ounces (about 30 to 60 milliliters) of formula every two to three hours for the first week.

◾Treatment
Mild infant jaundice often disappears on its own within two or three weeks. For moderate or severe jaundice, your baby may need to stay longer in the newborn nursery or be readmitted to the hospital. Treatments to lower the level of bilirubin in your baby's blood may include:

🔸Enhanced nutrition. To prevent weight loss, your doctor may recommendmore frequentt feeding or supplementation to ensure that your baby receives adequate nutrition.
🔸Light therapy(phototherapy) Your baby may be placed under a special lamp that emits light in the blue-green spectrum. The light changes the shape and structure of bilirubin molecules in such a way that they can be excreted in both the urine and stool. During treatment, your baby will wear only a diaper and protective eye patches. Light therapy may be supplemented with the use of a light-emitting pad or mattress.
intravenouss immunoglobulin (IVIg) Jaundice may be related to blood type differences between mother and baby. This condition results in the baby carrying antibodies from the mother that contribute to the rapid breakdown of the baby's red blood cells. Intravenous transfusion of animmunoglobulin—aa blood protein that can reduce levels ofantibodies—mayy decrease jaundice and lessen the need for an exchange transfusion, although results are not conclusive.
🔸Exchange transfusion. Rarely, when severe jaundice doesn't respond to other treatments, a baby may need an exchange transfusion of blood. This involves repeatedly withdrawing small amounts of blood and replacing it with donor blood, thereby diluting the bilirubin and maternalantibodies—aa procedure that's performed in a newborn intensive care unit.