Neonatal jaundice: what it is, what causes it, how to treat it
Introduction
Neonatal jaundice is a condition that greatly worries expectant couples and new parents.
In this article, I will try to help you clarify your ideas. You will be able to discover not only what neonatal jaundice is , but also the guidelines for treatment.
As you can see, I decided to insert an index. If you are interested in a particular facet of the theme, all you have to do is click on the title of the dedicated paragraph.
If you are expecting a baby and are looking for scientific and timely advice to best face the journey towards birth, I recommend the prenatal video course by Doctor Maria Chiara Alvisi, the midwife of the DrSilva team.
For always up-to-date content dedicated to the motor development of your puppy, I'll wait for you on Instagram on the profile @drsilva.com_official .
What is neonatal jaundice and what causes it?
Neonatal jaundice is a situation in which a yellowish coloration of the skin, sclera and mucous membranes can be observed in the newborn.
The cause of neonatal jaundice is an increase in blood bilirubin .
Waste substance, to be precise, a yellowish pigment produced following the physiological destruction of the hemoglobin present in the red blood cells that have reached the end of their life cycle , when the puppy is in the womb it is eliminated thanks to the placenta.
Once the baby is born and the placenta is born, its disposal is the responsibility of the liver which, due to its immaturity, is not always able to eliminate it efficiently .
What are the bilirubin values needed to be able to speak of neonatal jaundice? Quantities greater than 3 mg/dl.
It should also be remembered that the yellowish color begins to appear on the face, subsequently involving the sclera - the white part of the eye - and reaching, in a later phase, the upper and lower limbs.
It is important to know that neonatal jaundice can be of different types, namely physiological, from breast milk, from breastfeeding and pathological.
Follow me in the next paragraph to find out more about it!
Physiological jaundice
Physiological neonatal jaundice affects approximately 60% of full-term newborns and approximately 80% of premature babies.
Here are the criteria to consider in order to speak of physiological jaundice :
- Manifestation after the first 24 hours of life (usually, symptoms of changes in skin color appear between the second and third day after birth);
- all indirect bilirubin (i.e. not yet processed by the liver);
- daily increases in bilirubin values are not significant;
- the above values remain within the safety levels which correspond to 12 mg/dl for full-term babies and 15 for premature babies. If you go beyond these values, there is a risk that bilirubin will cross the blood-brain barrier , resulting in damage to the central nervous system.
A further criterion for being able to speak of physiological neonatal jaundice is the duration of the symptoms, which must remain within 10 days in babies born at term and within 15 in premature babies.
The onset of physiological neonatal jaundice may be predisposed by factors such as the administration of oxytocin during induced labor or by a pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes.
Breastfeeding and breast milk jaundice
Neonatal jaundice from breast milk appears within the first 4 - 5 days of life in breastfed infants who are reactive and with good weight gain.
Unlike physiological jaundice, it can last a long time, even up to 12 weeks. What causes it? The presence, in breast milk, of substances that interfere, increasing it, with the reabsorption of bilirubin by the intestine.
Breast milk jaundice must be distinguished from so-called neonatal jaundice from breastfeeding.
In these cases, the problem tends to manifest itself in the very first days of life and is due to the fact that the puppy does not take in a sufficient quantity of mother's milk.
As a result, bowel movements are reduced, the elimination of bilirubin through the fecal route is reduced.
There is absolutely no need to be alarmed! Everything resolves itself spontaneously by continuing with breastfeeding and trying to increase milk production .
Pathological jaundice
In case of pathological neonatal jaundice , one may be dealing with an increase in indirect bilirubin or an increase in direct bilirubin.
In the first instance, among the causes it is possible to mention the incompatibility between the Rh negative mother and the Rh positive newborn.
Also noteworthy is the possibility of ABO blood group incompatibility (the mother has blood group 0 and the puppy A or B).
In the situations just mentioned, the mother produces antibodies that, binding to the puppy's red blood cells, cause their destruction, technically called hemolysis, with a consequent increase in bilirubin.
For the sake of accuracy, it is worth pointing out that both types of incompatibility are very rare today.
After the first pregnancy , women who become pregnant again are given special antibodies that prevent the development of incompatibility.
Pathological neonatal jaundice can also be caused by other factors. What are they?
Pictures of polycythemia - increased red blood cells, with obvious effects on bilirubin levels - of congenital anemia , of congenital hypothyroidism , of absorption of cephalohematoma , a blood collection that can form under the periosteum, one of the structures of the skull, following the ventouse during childbirth for more than 20 minutes.
