Patient's question:
What is the treatment of jaundice with blue light?Doctor's answer:
Analysis of the condition: Kernicterus is a type of brain damage caused by the deposition of bilirubin in the basal ganglia and brainstem nuclei.Guidance: If a newborn's bilirubin level exceeds 18 mg%, the skin becomes yellow, and indirect bilirubin enters the brain tissue, causing damage. This is particularly severe in the basal ganglia, hypothalamus, and fourth ventricle, where the basal ganglia shows yellowing, hence the term "kernicterus." The symptoms include lethargy, drowsiness, refusal to feed, nausea, and vomiting. If treated promptly, full recovery is possible without long-term consequences, and this phase typically lasts 1-2 days. If jaundice worsens, neurological symptoms may appear, such as intermittent crying, high-pitched crying, eye movement disorders, and a downward deviation of most of the black part of the eyes, forming a "doll-like" appearance. The limbs' muscle tone may also be elevated, and convulsions may occur. In severe cases, respiratory failure and death may result. With timely treatment, some recovery is possible, but delayed treatment can lead to permanent sequelae, such as intellectual disability, athetosis, hearing impairment, delayed motor development, and cerebral palsy. Therefore, newborns with jaundice must be treated promptly.
Ataxic cerebral palsy can be treated with carotid sheath sympathetic nerve stripping surgery, which can improve athetotic symptoms and enhance self-care abilities, with an effectiveness rate of 50%.