Introduction to the Newborn Infant Jaundice Index

Nowadays, many parents report that their children suffer from a disease called neonatal jaundice shortly after birth, but few people know what neonatal jaundice means. Since this disease is generally uncommon, ordinary people generally do not know about it. Today we will introduce to you what neonatal jaundice is. How should we solve this problem in our lives?

Medically, jaundice in newborns under one month old (within 28 days of birth) is called neonatal jaundice. Neonatal jaundice refers to a disease characterized by jaundice of the skin, mucous membranes and sclera due to abnormal bilirubin metabolism in the neonatal period, which causes increased bilirubin levels in the blood. This disease can be divided into physiological and pathological types. Physiological jaundice appears 2 to 3 days after birth, reaches its peak on the 4th to 6th day, and disappears on the 7th to 10th day. It lasts longer in premature infants and, except for mild loss of appetite, has no other clinical symptoms. If jaundice appears within 24 hours after birth, the daily serum bilirubin increases by more than 5 mg/dl or >0.5 mg/dl per hour; it lasts for a long time, >2 weeks in full-term infants and >4 weeks in premature infants, and it still does not subside, or even continues to deepen and worsen or reappears after subsiding, or jaundice begins to appear within one to several weeks after birth, it is pathological jaundice.

Causes

1. Excessive production of bilirubin

Due to excessive destruction of red blood cells and increased enterohepatic circulation, serum unconjugated bilirubin increases. Common causes include: polycythemia, extravascular hemolysis, alloimmune hemolysis, infection, increased enterohepatic circulation, erythrocyte enzyme deficiency, abnormal erythrocyte morphology, and hemoglobinopathy.

2. Hepatic bilirubin metabolism disorder

Due to the low function of liver cells to absorb and bind bilirubin, the serum unconjugated bilirubin increases. Common causes include: hypoxia and infection, Crigler-Najjar syndrome, Gilbert syndrome, Lucey-Driscoll syndrome, drugs (such as sulfonamides, salicylates, indomethacin, scutellariae, etc.), and congenital hypothyroidism.

treat

1. Light therapy

It is a simple and effective method to reduce serum unconjugated bilirubin. Place the newborn baby in a phototherapy box, protect both eyes with black eye masks to avoid damaging the retina, cover the perineum and anus with a diaper, and leave the rest of the body exposed. Use single-sided or double-sided light irradiation for 2 to 48 hours (generally not more than 4 days). Treatment can be stopped when bilirubin drops below 7 mg/dL.

2. Exchange blood therapy

Exchange transfusion can effectively reduce bilirubin, replace sensitized red blood cells and alleviate anemia. However, blood transfusion requires certain conditions and may also produce some adverse reactions, so the indications should be strictly followed.

The above is some common knowledge about neonatal jaundice introduced to us by professionals, so if many parents still don’t understand neonatal jaundice, they can read the content above. As parents, we should pay more attention or read some information about neonatal jaundice. This is also a manifestation of being responsible for your baby.