Symptoms of neonatal hepatitis jaundice

Every newborn is an angel sent to us by God. However, some fetuses will have abnormalities in their bodies as soon as they are born, and hepatitis jaundice has the highest incidence rate among newborns. One type of disease is brought by the mother, and the other is caused by inheritance. Neonatal hepatitis jaundice will have symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fever, body tremors, convulsions, etc. Let's take a closer look!

1. Infectious factors

It is caused by hepatitis A and B viruses, herpes simplex virus, rubella virus, etc., as well as toxic hepatitis caused by bacterial infection. It may also be caused by Toxoplasma gondii, Treponema pallidum, etc.

2. Bile excretion disorder

It is caused by incomplete development of bile ducts inside and outside the liver, thick bile, liver or bile duct tumors, etc.

3. Genetic metabolic deficiency in the family

Including galactosemia, fructose intolerance, glycogen storage disease, etc.

The main symptom is jaundice. Patients often come to the hospital for treatment because physiological jaundice persists or reappears after it subsides. Other symptoms such as low-grade fever, vomiting, and abdominal distension may also occur. Physical examination shows hepatosplenomegaly, dark urine, and stools changing from yellow to light yellow or white. In most cases, jaundice slowly subsides within 3 to 4 months, and may be complicated by dry eyes, hypocalcemic convulsions, bleeding and diarrhea. In a few severe cases, the long course of the disease may lead to cirrhosis and liver failure.

Physical examination shows hepatosplenomegaly, dark urine, and stools changing from yellow to light yellow or white. Laboratory examination shows that total bilirubin is generally lower than 171 μmol/L (10 mg/dl), and both conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin are elevated. There are no obvious changes in the flocculent turbidity test in the early stage. Alanine aminotransferase was elevated or normal. Alpha-fetoprotein was positive and urobilinogen was positive. The alpha-fetoprotein level of a newborn should turn negative after one month, but it may continue to increase in patients, which indicates that liver cells are destroyed and regeneration increases. Usually transaminases reach their peak in about one week, and serum alkaline phosphatase is normal. Urine bilirubin may be positive or negative depending on the degree of bile duct obstruction. Etiology diagnosis can be made by taking blood samples to test for hepatitis B virus surface antigen, collecting infant urine or maternal cervical smears to look for giant cell inclusion bodies, etc.