Hyperbilirubinemia in newborns is called an increase in bilirubin in the blood, which causes the mucous membranes and skin to turn yellow. Hyperbilirubinemia is present in all children who have just appeared, and the jaundice develops only at a certain level of bilirubin.
Hyperbilirubinemia: causes
Physiological jelly is considered as an adaptation of the enzyme system of the baby's organism to the new conditions of life. Hyperbilirubinemia in newborns is:
- hemorrhage during childbirth (cephalohematoma);
- infection;
- hereditary blood diseases;
- congenital pathologies of the fetus;
- lactation.
The symptoms of hyperbilirubinemia include staining, first of all, of the mucous membranes in yellow, and then the face, trunk and extremities. This phenomenon is called the physiological jaundice , which appears on the second day of the baby's life and passes a month later. If the bilirubin values are "off scale", the baby's condition can be complicated by bilirubin encephalopathy or a "nuclear" jaundice. The disease is manifested by drowsiness and lethargy. A newborn can suck badly, scream monotonously. His urine acquires a dark color, and the skin covers turn pale. A tremor of the hands may appear, and a sucking reflex, a reaction to light and sound, disappear. Because of the increased concentration, bilirubin accumulates in neurons of the brain. Therefore, when hyperbilirubinized, severe central nervous system damage results, which lead to cerebral palsy, deafness, and developmental delay.
Hyperbilirubinemia in newborns: treatment
With mild forms of hyperbilirubinemia, no treatment is done as this will gradually reduce the level of bilirubin independently. If the increase in bilirubin is associated with breastfeeding, the baby should be transferred for a while to the mixture. In pathological forms of hyperbilirubinemia, treatment is reduced to the use of phototherapy, due to which the concentration of the substance in the blood decreases.