Newborn jaundice

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Erythroblastosis fetalis, photomicrograph

Exchange transfusion - series

Jaundice infant

Newborn jaundice is a condition marked by high levels of bilirubin in the blood. The increased bilirubin cause the infant's skin and eyeballs to look yellow.

Jaundice of the newborn

Bilirubin is a byproduct of the normal breakdown of red blood cells. The liver processes bilirubin so that it can be excreted by the body as waste. At birth, a baby's liver is still developing its ability to process bilirubin. Therefore, bilirubin levels are a little high at birth and jaundice is present to some degree in almost all newborns. This form of jaundice usually appears between day 2 and 5 and clears by 2 weeks. It usually causes no problems.

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Breastfeeding jaundice is seen in 5 - 10% of newborns. This may occur when breast-fed babies do not take in enough breast milk and rarely requires treatment. Sometimes, however, breastfeeding does need to be interrupted and bottle-feeding substituted for a brief period of time to clear the jaundice.

Jaundice in a newborn is rarely caused by a serious illness. However, possible disorders that can cause jaundice in a baby include:

• Biliary atresia
• ABO incompatibility (similar to a transfusion reaction , caused when fetal and maternal blood mingle before birth)
• Rh incompatibility (Anti-Rh antibodies)
• Galactosemia (see galactosemia screen )
• Cephalohematoma
• Polycythemia
• Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
• Infections, including urinary tract infection and sepsis
• Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection
• Congenital toxoplasmosis
• Congenital syphilis
• Congenital herpes
• Congenital rubella
• Congenital hypothyroidism
• Taking sulfa drugs late in pregnancy
• Crigler-Najjar syndrome
• Spherocytosis (congenital hemolytic anemia )
• Cystic fibrosis
• Pyruvate kinase deficiency
• Thalassemia
• Gilbert's syndrome
• Lucey-Driscol syndrome
• Gaucher's disease
• Niemann-Pick disease
• Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Review Date: 06/13/2006
Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.