This is what happens when baby bilirubin levels are too high.

The mother's panic reaction is normal when the baby has jaundice, which is jaundice. However, please note that yellow babies are a normal condition in infants aged 2-3 days, which is caused by an increase in the baby's bilirubin levels themselves.

According to data from the Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI), 6 out of 10 healthy babies have yellow skin in the first weeks of life. Mothers should be vigilant if the baby's bilirubin level exceeds 12 mg / dL, which of course is obtained through laboratory testing and not just physical monitoring.

Mothers should increase fluid intake (ASI) when the baby's bilirubin level reaches 15 mg / dL, but infants with bilirubin levels ≥20 mg / dL should immediately receive light therapy. Jaundice that is not treated immediately can cause kernicterus.

What is kernicterus?

Kernicterus is a brain injury caused by too high levels of bilirubin in a baby's blood. This condition can cause abnormalities in infants, such as athetoid cerebral palsy, deafness, vision, teeth and (sometimes) intellectual lesions.

Symptoms of kernicterus that are usually seen in infants are:

Stiff body, even too weak
Acute and acute crying
Strange or uncoordinated baby eye movements
The baby's body is curved like a bow, ie the head, neck and heel are curved backward, while the rest of the body is actually curved.
convulsions
There is a bump on the baby's crown

What causes high bilirubin in babies?

After giving birth, the baby must stay in the hospital for at least 48 hours. This is to monitor bilirubin levels every 8 to 12 hours during the first 48 hours of life.

Before leaving the hospital after giving birth, you will usually be given the results of the baby bilirubin test. Although the results are normal, you should always monitor the baby's development, because bilirubin usually reaches a maximum at 3 to 5 days.

Kernicterus itself occurs when the baby's bilirubin levels are too high to penetrate the boundary between blood vessels and brain tissue. This condition is almost always associated with severe jaundice or not treated immediately.

Causes of baby bilirubin levels that far exceed normal limits, namely:

Damage to the liver
Destruction of red blood cells in infants, usually because the mother's blood type is not the same as the baby
Babies are born prematurely, usually before 37 weeks of pregnancy
Significant increase in bilirubin production
Gilbert's Syndrome
There is a blockage in the bile duct

Some babies also have risk factors for severe jaundice that lead to kernicterus, including:

Mother and baby do not have the same blood type
Infants lack glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), an enzyme that helps red blood cells function properly.
Babies born with low weight
Babies are born prematurely
Septicemia and meningitis
Babies that have dark skin color turn yellow are difficult to detect
Breastfeeding or difficulty breastfeeding
Have a family member who suffers from jaundice
Having a hard work accident

However, babies with these risk factors can still live in good health if their jaundice is quickly detected and treated. Therefore, you should immediately check your baby's bilirubin levels at the doctor or nearest hospital if you suspect signs of jaundice in the baby.

What are the complications of kernicterus?
As explained above, kernicterus caused by high bilirubin levels can cause serious health problems, including brain damage. Complications due to the kernikter itself, including: