Question
What are the dangers of pathological jaundice in newborns?
Answer
During the neonatal period, when the serum indirect bilirubin level reaches above 342 micromoles/liter (20 mg%), indirect bilirubin may enter brain tissue, causing brain damage and resulting in kernicterus. Therefore, for newborns with severe jaundice, one should be vigilant about the occurrence of kernicterus, especially for premature infants, where the incidence rate is higher with decreasing gestational age. Generally, within 12 to 48 hours after the onset of severe jaundice, symptoms such as listlessness, drowsiness, weak suckling, reduced muscle tone, vomiting, and refusal to breastfeed may appear. Timely treatment can lead to complete recovery. If jaundice persists and worsens, symptoms like fever, high-pitched screaming, seizures, even opisthotonos may occur, and it may lead to respiratory failure and death. Survivors of treatment often suffer from severe intellectual disability, involuntary movement of hands and feet, or may be accompanied by eye movement disorders, hearing impairment, and incomplete enamel development as sequelae.