Jaundice in a newborn

The child, getting into the surrounding world, passes through a number of adaptive processes, such as the restructuring of the circulation, the beginning of the functioning of the respiratory system and the jaundice in the newborn. Mass decay of fetal (fetal) hemoglobin (HbF), and its replacement by an identical adult human (HbA), leads to yellowing of the skin. The severity of this process depends on a number of circumstances. Next, we will consider why there is a jaundice in newborns, and the more dangerous it is.

Conjugation jaundice of newborns

Let us first consider the features of physiological jaundice in a newborn child. This state begins at the end of the second - the beginning of 3 days. As already mentioned, its cause is the replacement of fruit hemoglobin by a constant. The liver of the newborn can still cope with the neutralization of this amount of bilirubin (conjugation of it with 2 molecules of glucuronic acid), so its level in the blood can increase tens of times. The duration of physiological jaundice in newborns does not exceed 7 days, that is, it passes for 8-9 days of life.

Symptoms of zheltushku newborn

Its main symptoms are icterism (the acquisition of a yellow shade) of the skin and sclera. With pathological jaundice in newborns, this discoloration is more pronounced. Define it can an experienced neonatologist, when examining the baby in daylight, which confirms the results of a laboratory study of the level of bilirubin. In favor of physiological jaundice, the following symptoms speak:

Jaundice in newborns: on what depends and how long does it last?

Now consider the pathological types of jaundice, which can be provoked by various factors. So, I want to note that jaundice in premature babies is more severe than in term infants, and lasts up to 14-15 days of life. Inadequate nutrition (if the mother does not have enough breast milk) may cause prolonged jaundice. Among the pathological species of this phenomenon are:

  1. Hemolytic jaundice of newborns is due to the immune conflict between the mother and the fetus. The most common rhesus is the conflict that occurs in the Rh-negative mother, a pregnant Rh-positive fetus. Less often, there are immune conflicts in the blood group and other blood antigens. In this case, the fetus is perceived by the maternal organism as a foreign agent.
  2. Intrauterine infection of any infectious disease can manifest as prolonged jaundice of newborns.
  3. Staining with dark color of feces and urine can speak of a congenital anomaly in the structure of the biliary tract.
  4. Taking mum of any toxic drugs in the last weeks of pregnancy.
  5. Prolonged jaundice can be a child born to a mother with diabetes mellitus.

Jaundice of newborns, which has arisen due to pathological factors, lasts for more than two weeks, significantly worsening the condition of the child and requires treatment in specialized departments.

Thus, in no case should you neglect the examinations of the pediatrician and his advice. And if the level of bilirubin on the day of discharge is more than 256 mmol / l, it is possible that a mother with a child will be offered hospitalization in the department of neonatal pathology or detained in the postpartum department for phototherapy with an ultraviolet lamp.