Elevated bilirubin levels affect about 50 percent of newborns and every premature baby in its second 24 hours of life. The main and most characteristic symptom of bilirubin in a newborn baby is yellowing of the skin. Bilirubin is categorized into two types: physiological and pathological. The occurrence of physiological bilirubin is a natural process.
According to medicine, the yellow pigment called bilirubin is considered to be the cause of bilirubin in newborns. This dye is created in the process of hemoglobin breakdown, the place of its occurrence are red blood cells in our body. In prenatal life, red blood cells are present in too much and too high concentration, therefore, right after birth, as a result of inhaled oxygen entering the body, hemoglobin begins to accumulate in the liver, while, as a result of overload, it does not keep up with its synthesis . Too much hemoglobin in a newborn’s body is what leads to jaundice (bilirubin).
Bilirubin in a newborn – symptoms
What are the symptoms of bilirubin in a newborn? The most characteristic and inseparable element of bilirubin in a newborn is yellowing of the skin and its membranes. In some cases, the whites of the baby’s eyes also turn yellow. The first victims of bilirubin are the face and scalp of a child. Then the symptoms of bilirubin appear on the abdomen and sometimes on the hands of the newborn. The symptoms disappear in the reverse order of the appearance. The symptoms on the face disappear in the end. Assessment of symptom severity is usually performed in well-lit areas to ensure an accurate assessment of symptom severity. The doctor usually pays attention to the baby’s hands, torso and face.
Bilirubin in a newborn – types
Physiological bilirubin in a newborn, i.e. physiological jaundice, shows its symptoms on the second or third day of a newborn’s life, and begins to disappear around day 8. In some cases, jaundice appears slightly later and begins to resolve only on day 14. Physiological bilirubin is harmless and does not require treatment . In newborns, it is required to determine the level of bilirubin in the blood, the correct value for the bilirubinometer test is 10 mg / dL, while for the blood test it is 15 mg / dL. Usually, the only indication is adequate feeding and hydration of the newborn, as the lack of any of these factors may result in worsening of bilirubin symptoms.
Pathological bilirubin in a newborn baby – In a few cases, physiological bilirubin turns into pathological bilirubin. Signs warning against the appearance of pathological bilirubin may include: jaundice manifestation already on the first 10 hours after birth, persistence of jaundice symptoms for more than XNUMX days, bilirubin levels above the prescribed norm, gray stools and dark urine, hard belly, orange or olive green. There can be many causes of pathological bilirubin. They include, among others: infections and infections, serological conflict, which occurs when the mother has a blood group other than the baby, liver disease, mother’s milk and congenital defects of red blood cells. Detailed diagnostics is required to confirm the presence of pathological bilirubin. Of course, it is essential to test your child’s blood bilirubin levels and determine if it is adequate. The concentration of this substance is checked several times.