Risk factors and Complication of Neonatal jaundice

Approximately 60% of all newborns develop jaundice. However, newborns with certain risk factors are at higher risk for developing neonatal jaundice. Risk factors are,

• Having siblings who had neonatal jaundice.
• Having parents of east Asian or Mediterranean descent.
• Preterm babies IQ - higher than expected incidence of mild mental retardation.
• Newborn with feeding difficulties/ poor feeding.
• Mother with diabetes IQ
• Newborn with bruising ( excessive blood loss through the wound).
• Blood type incompatibility - if a baby and mother have different blood types, sometimes the mother produces antibodies that destroy the newborn's red blood cells. This causes a sudden buildup of bilirubin in the baby's blood.
• Congenital infection

COMPLICATIONS

High levels of bilirubin that causes severe jaundice can result in severe complication if not treated.

Acute bilirubin encephalopathy 

Bilirubin is toxic to the cell of the brain. If the baby has severe jaundice it has a risk to pass into the brain. Prompt treatment can prevent the risk of severe lasting damage.

Signs of the acute bilirubin encephalopathy in a baby with jaundice include,

1. Listlessness
2. Difficulty walking
3. High-pitched crying
4. Poor sucking or feeding
5. Backward arching of the neck and body - it happens when the neck nerves are weak because of too much stretching during birth. The weaker nerves lead to weaker muscles in the neck and shoulder.
6. Fever.

   

   Baby Arching Back

Kernicterus

Kernicterus is the syndrome that occurs if the acute bilirubin encephalopathy causes permanent damage to the brain. Kernicterus may result in:

1. Involvement and uncontrolled movement ( athetoid cerebral plays).
2. Permanent upward gaze.
3. Hearing loss.
4. Improper development of the tooth enamel.

   

   Upward gaze