| Jaundice To understand jaundice, you must first learn about red blood cells. In babies, red blood cells have a much shorter lifespan than red blood cells in adults. When a red blood cell gets old and is broken down by the body, a substance called bilirubin is produced. Normally, the liver processes the bilurubin. Often infants, and especially preemies, do not have fully developed livers, and so cannot process all the bilurubin that is produced. A buildup of bilurubin causes a yellow color in infants, and this is called jaundice. Jaundice is very common, and normally bilurubin is not harmful, but extremely high levels can cause brain damage. The standard treatment for jaundice is phototherapy. Special lights help to break down the bilurubin in the skin. In extreme cases, the doctor can do an exchange transfusion, in which the baby's blood is replaced with blood from the blood bank. Failure to quickly diagnose and treat jaundice in a newborn can increase the risk of cerebral palsy. Web Resources for Jaundice: Jaundice - American Academy of Pediatrics Medical Library Jaundice - Google Search |
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