How many types of jaundice are there

Jaundice is not a specific disease, it is a symptom. For newborns, the most important types of jaundice are physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. There are many causes of pathological jaundice, such as breast milk jaundice caused by breast milk, hemolytic jaundice caused by hemolytic reasons, etc. In addition, we must also be vigilant against infectious jaundice. Let us take a look at the types of jaundice.

Physiological jaundice

This is a unique phenomenon in the growth and development process of newborns. On the one hand, the fetus has many immature red blood cells in the mother's body to meet its own oxygen needs. After birth, these red blood cells will gradually rupture, releasing a large amount of bilirubin into the blood, causing the bilirubin content in the blood to be much higher than normal. On the other hand, the liver of a newborn is not yet fully developed and cannot metabolize so much bilirubin. This causes physiological jaundice in newborns.

Pathological jaundice

1. Breast milk jaundice

Breast milk contains pregnanediol, which can inhibit the activity of glucuronyl transferase, thereby reducing the body's ability to metabolize bilirubin and causing jaundice. Its characteristics are: after physiological jaundice reaches its peak, the newborn continues to have jaundice and tends to get worse, especially after breastfeeding. The jaundice is alleviated after breastfeeding stops, but it still gets worse after resuming breastfeeding. This type of jaundice will not cause physical discomfort to the newborn, nor will it affect its appetite, so it has no harm to the health of the newborn. Milk or milk powder can be used instead of breast milk for feeding, and the baby can be fed breast milk after the condition improves.

This type of jaundice is caused by different blood types between parents and children, with ABO hemolysis being the most common, with an incidence rate of more than 10%. The relationship between the blood types of the two generations of parents and their risk and severity of illness is shown in the following table:

Mother's blood type: O, A, B

Infant blood type A or B B or AB A or AB

Hemolytic jaundice is more likely to occur

Severity of illness More severe Less severe Less severe

This type of jaundice usually develops symptoms within one day after birth and becomes increasingly severe over time.

4. Infectious jaundice

This disease is caused by liver cells being infected by bacteria or viruses, resulting in a decrease in metabolic capacity. Among them, viral infections mostly occur in the uterus, with cytomegalovirus and hepatitis B virus being the most common, while bacterial infections can easily lead to septic jaundice. This type of jaundice is characterized by persistence or recurrence after receding.

Generally speaking, this type of jaundice will occur if the bile duct of a newborn is malformed, such as bile duct obstruction. Its main manifestations: related symptoms appear 1-2 weeks after birth (some newborns may reach 3-4 weeks), and the condition gradually worsens, and even the stool turns yellow, or appears clay-like white. B-ultrasound can detect and confirm the disease.

6. Drug-induced jaundice

If newborns use drugs such as VK3, VK34, or neomycin, there is a possibility of developing the disease.

7. Others

Certain genetic diseases may be predisposing factors. For example, erythrocyte 6-phosphate glucose dehydrogenase deficiency, spherocytosis, α1 antitrypsin deficiency, etc.