Question
My baby was born on the 6th day and went to the hospital for a detailed check-up, where the bilirubin level was found to be 437. After a day of blue light therapy and human albumin treatment, it dropped to 279. I’m worried that the high bilirubin levels might harm the brain. The baby hasn’t had any complications, is eating well, napping during the day, and is very energetic. After 5 days of hospitalization, all detailed checks were done but the cause of the hyperbilirubinemia was not found. The baby is healthy in all aspects except for the high bilirubin levels. Could such high levels of bilirubin harm the baby’s brain nerves?
Answer
Neonatal jaundice usually recurs between 2-3 days, peaks at 4-5 days, and naturally subsides within 7-14 days in full-term infants, generally in good condition. According to your description, your baby has pathological jaundice, which, excluding hemolytic disease, is neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. The general causes are numerous, such as infection, liver function abnormalities, etc. Since your baby is eating and sleeping well during the day, it is considered that there should be no interference with the brain. I suggest a follow-up brain MRI.