Question
My child just gave birth a few days ago, and their skin is yellow. The doctor said it’s jaundice that appeared prematurely. Generally speaking, it happens around the seventh day after birth. I would like to ask the experts, what type of disease is this, can it be cured, and what consequences might there be? Please provide a detailed answer, thank you!
Answer
Neonatal jaundice (eoataljaudice) is caused by the accumulation of bilirubin (mainly unconjugated bilirubin) in the body. The causes are complex and can be either physiological or pathological. Some pathological jaundice may lead to central nervous system damage, resulting in bilirubin encephalopathy. Therefore, it is important to strengthen clinical observation of neonatal jaundice, quickly identify the cause, and provide timely treatment. The bilirubin metabolism in newborns has the following characteristics:
- Increased bilirubin production: Newborns produce approximately 8.8mg/kg of bilirubin daily, whereas adults produce only 3.8mg/kg. This is because the fetus is in an environment with low oxygen pressure, resulting in a higher number of red blood cells. After birth, the environment’s oxygen pressure increases, leading to an excess of red blood cells and more destruction; fetal hemoglobin has a short half-life, and the lifespan of newborn red blood cells is 20-40 days shorter than that of adults, shortening the cycle for bilirubin formation; other sources of bilirubin production are also increased, such as from organs like the liver (e.g., catalase, cytochrome P450) and ineffective hematopoiesis in the bone marrow (red blood cell precursors).