Differences in jaundice in infants with kernicterus

Have you ever seen a yellow baby? When the whole body and eyes look more yellow than usual, it is said that the baby has jaundice in infants or is called neonatal jaundice.

Jaundice in babies is caused by increased levels of bilirubin in the blood. This incident affects 60% of term babies and 80% of babies and premature babies.

Causes of jaundice in infants

Jaundice in babies can have different causes, including:

Internal organ bleeding
Infection in the blood in infants or sepsis
Viral or bacterial infections
Imbalance between mother's blood and baby's blood
Liver insufficiency
Anomaly in baby red blood cells

Factors that influence the risk of jaundice in infants are:

Premature birth

Babies born before 38 weeks may not be able to treat bilirubin as well as babies born on time. Premature babies also tend to eat less and have less stool.

Bruised at birth

Bruising at birth usually occurs during labor. This condition causes the baby's body to process more bilirubin from red blood cells

Blood group

Various types of blood from the mother and baby can cause blood disorders, which can cause the destruction of red blood cells in the baby. This condition often occurs when mother's blood type is O.

Oops

Breast milk can trigger the appearance of yellow in babies. However, in babies who lack milk, they can also appear yellow. People still wonder if breast milk is maintained if jaundice occurs in babies. However, some experts still recommend breastfeeding because of its benefits.

Differences in jaundice in infants with kernicterus

Jaundice in infants is called neonatal jaundice. When the disease is severe and bilirubin builds up in the brain, this condition is called kernicterus.

Symptoms of neonatal jaundice:

Baby's skin looks more yellow
The whites of the eyes are yellow
Babies look sick and have difficulty waking up
Body weight does not increase or lack of appetite
Shout loudly
Fever, vomiting, convulsions

In kernicterus, the above symptoms appear and are accompanied by the following symptoms

Uncontrolled and unintentional movements
Vision rises continuously
Curved body like a bow (head and heels back, baby's body forward)
Lack of hearing ability
Poor development of tooth enamel
Baby's body is stiff or weak

What to do if jaundice occurs in babies?

Bilirubin in infants increases when they reach the age of 3 to 5 days. If you notice that your baby is whiter than usual, immediately check your baby on the day you encounter a problem.

Take the baby to the doctor immediately if the following conditions occur: