Specific treatment will be determined by your baby's doctor based on: Transcutaneous bili-meter measures the levels in the skin.Blood type and testing for Rh incompatibility (Coombs' test).Direct and indirect bilirubin levels show if the bilirubin is bound with other substances by the liver so that it can be removed by the liver (direct), or is circulating in the blood and unable to be removed (indirect).Testing for hyperbilirubinemia / jaundice may include: Testing for Hyperbilirubinemia / Jaundice Yellow coloring of the baby's skin, usually beginning on the face and moving down the body.Jaundice related to poor liver function due to infection or other factors.Īlthough low levels of bilirubin are not usually a concern, large amounts can build up in the brain and may cause seizures and brain damage.Jaundice from the breakdown of red blood cells due to hemolytic disease of the newborn (Rh disease), having too many red blood cells, or bleeding.It is associated with a decreased ability to get rid of the bilirubin because of the breast milk. Breast milk jaundice syndrome: about 2% of healthy breastfed babies develop jaundice after the first week.It is caused by the baby not taking enough breast milk or a low breast milk supply. Breastfeeding jaundice: occurs in the first few days to a week of life.Physiologic jaundice: occurs as a "normal" response to the baby's limited ability to get rid of bilirubin in the first days of life.Bilirubin has a yellow color and causes a yellowing of the baby's skin and tissues.Īs liver function matures, the jaundice goes away. Too much bilirubin in the blood is called hyperbilirubinemia. Bilirubin is made during this process and removed by the liver. Jaundice is caused by the breakdown of red blood cells. This is usually temporary, but could be a sign of a more serious illness. Over half of all newborns develop some amount of jaundice, a yellow coloring in their skin, during the first week of life.
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