Patient's question:
My son was born via cesarean section. When he was discharged from the hospital, the doctor reminded us that his jaundice was high and prescribed some medication, advising us to expose him to more sunlight. After returning home, the child's jaundice did not subside, so we went to the hospital again. The doctor recommended pausing breastfeeding for a few days.What kind of help do you need: What are the effects of high jaundice on infants?
Doctor's answer:
During the neonatal period, if any cause leads to an increase in serum indirect bilirubin levels by more than 20%, indirect bilirubin can enter the brain tissue, causing brain damage and resulting in kernicterus. Therefore, newborns with severe jaundice should be vigilant about the occurrence of kernicterus, especially premature infants. The smaller the age, the higher the incidence. Generally, symptoms such as lethargy, drowsiness, poor suckling ability, decreased muscle tone, vomiting, and refusal to feed may appear within 12-48 hours after the onset of severe jaundice. If treated promptly at this stage, full recovery can be achieved. If jaundice continues to worsen, symptoms such as fever, loud crying, convulsions, and even opisthotonos may occur, leading to respiratory failure and death. Survivors after treatment often suffer from severe intellectual disability, involuntary movements of the hands and feet, or accompanied by eye movement disorders, hearing loss, or incomplete enamel development, among other sequelae.