Neonatal Jaundice
Each year more than 6 million newborns in low resource areas around the globe do not receive adequate phototherapy to treat jaundice - Donna Brezinski
image by: The Belleville Intelligencer
HWN Recommends
Neonatal jaundice: Why haven’t we achieved global access to phototherapy?
In developing regions of the world, neonatal jaundice is a persistent nemesis. It stands apart from other threats to newborn health, like pneumonia, that present with clear and immediate symptoms. The very nature of jaundice, its onset and progression, expose the gaps in existing patterns of newborn health care that help to explain the residual high death and disability rates:
It is deceptive. Many of the newborns that ultimately succumb to severe neonatal jaundice are born at full term and appear healthy.
It is common. About 60% of all term newborns have some degree of jaundice. The fact that most will recover without intervention can…
Resources
Neonatal Jaundice from a Parent's Perspective
Almost all babies (and adults) have jaundice so it is really no cause for concern. The yellowness of the new born is the result of build up of bilirubin in the baby’s blood due to the immature development of their liver to clear off the waste material in the body. Most babies return to their normal pinkish self within the first week but for my last three babies, their yellowness stuck with them for at least a month which means constant blood tests and visits to the paediatrician.
Newborn Care Startup NeoLight Scores $2.5 Million From NFL Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
NeoLight’s FDA-approved technology is a two-pronged effort to make diagnosing and treating jaundice among infants more convenient. The diagnostic device, Bilicount, can yield results in less than two minutes and eliminates the need for sending out blood samples. Once the results confirm that a newborn’s bilirubin is too high, a portable device called Skylife can treat the condition with “high efficiency, high intensity” phototherapy.
Baby Has Jaundice: Is That a Problem?
Jaundice, with its telltale yellow skin, affects 60% of newborn babies. It's almost always harmless -- except when it signals a dangerous buildup of toxins that can result in permanent brain damage.
Beware Of Accidentally Starving Your Breastfed Newborn, Warns The Fed Is Best Foundation
One recommendation from Fed is Best is sure to sound the alarm bells of new moms and breastfeeding advocates alike. If mom isn’t producing sufficient milk, they recommend supplementing half an ounce of formula or safe, pasteurized donor breastmilk (usually only available to premature infants and others with medical need) after each breastfeeding session.
Filtered Sunlight Is Good Cure for Infant Jaundice, Study Says
Filtered sunlight is a cheap, effective way to treat infant jaundice, according to a study by Stanford researchers.
Jaundice in newborns could be an evolutionary safeguard against death from sepsis
In newborn babies, jaundice is so common as to be termed physiological. It affects around 60% of term babies and around 80% of preterm babies in the first week of their lives. Clinicians need to monitor it carefully and sometimes treat it, since it can lead to conditions like acute bilirubin encephalopathy and kernicterus that can damage the infant’s brain and cause developmental problems. But it now looks as though this jaundice is not merely one of the pitfalls of entering the world. New research just published in Scientific Reports, in which we have been involved, suggests that it is one of the gifts of evolution. Humans may develop jaundice as newborns to protect from something even more serious: sepsis.
Newborn Jaundice Treatment May Increase Risk of Childhood Seizures
New research suggests that phototherapy – a treatment for newborns with jaundice – could increase children’s risk of developing epilepsy. The finding raises concerns about babies being given the treatment when it’s not absolutely necessary, as the potential risks could outweigh the benefits.
Neonatal jaundice: Why haven’t we achieved global access to phototherapy?
In developing regions of the world, neonatal jaundice is a persistent nemesis. It stands apart from other threats to newborn health, like pneumonia, that present with clear and immediate symptoms. The very nature of jaundice, its onset and progression, expose the gaps in existing patterns of newborn health care that help to explain the residual high death and disability rates...
StatPearls
The term jaundice is from the French word "jaune," which means yellow. Neonatal jaundice in most newborns is a mild and transient event. It is however imperative to identify newborns with jaundice that do not follow this pattern as failure to do so may lead to long-term sequelae.
CDC
Any baby can get jaundice. Severe jaundice that is not treated can cause brain damage. Your baby should be checked for jaundice in the hospital and again within 48 hours after leaving the hospital. Ask your doctor or nurse about a jaundice bilirubin test.
eMedicineHealth
Physiologic jaundice is the most common form of newborn jaundice. The baby's liver plays the most important part in bilirubin breakdown. The type of bilirubin that causes the yellow discoloration of jaundice is called unconjugated or indirect bilirubin. This form of bilirubin is not easily removed from the baby's body. The baby's liver changes this unconjugated bilirubin into conjugated or direct bilirubin, which is easier to excrete. The liver of a newborn baby is immature, so the job of conjugating and removing bilirubin is not done completely well.
KidsHealth
Parents also should watch their baby for jaundice. Jaundice can be hard to see, especially in babies with dark skin. If you're unsure, gently press the skin on your baby's nose or forehead — if jaundice is present, the skin will appear yellow when you lift your finger.
MedlinePlus
Most newborns have some yellowing of the skin, or jaundice. This is called "physiological jaundice." It is often most noticeable when the baby is 2 - 4 days old. Most of the time it does not cause problems and goes away within 2 weeks.
NHS
Jaundice is one of the most common conditions that can affect newborn babies. It is estimated that 6 out of every 10 babies will develop jaundice, including 8 out of 10 babies born prematurely (babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy). However, only around 1 in 20 babies has a high enough level of bilirubin in their blood to need treatment.
Patient
Hyperbilirubinaemia is either unconjugated (which is potentially toxic but may be physiological or pathological) or conjugated (not toxic but always pathological). Without treatment, high levels of unconjugated bilirubin may lead to kernicterus.
ScienceDirect
Jaundice in full-term, healthy newborns is considered physiologic because hyperbilirubinemia occurs in all neonates.
UpToDate
Breast milk jaundice is thought to be due to the infant’s immature liver and intestines. It typically begins the first week after birth, peaks within two weeks after birth, and declines over the next few weeks. Breast milk jaundice is not a reason to stop breastfeeding as long as the baby is feeding well, gaining weight, and otherwise thriving. Infants with breast milk jaundice rarely need treatment unless severe hyperbilirubinemia develops.
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.
