Patient's question:
The newborn's jaundice is too severe. The doctor said it is necessary to exchange blood to treat the child. Only by exchanging blood can this problem be completely solved, otherwise the child will be in danger. Could you please tell me if blood exchange for newborn jaundice is common?Doctor's answer:
The risk of exchange transfusion for neonatal jaundice is generally low. If jaundice appears within 24 hours after birth, the daily increase in serum bilirubin is greater than 5 mg/L or greater than 0.5 mg/L per hour. If it persists for a long duration—2 weeks for full-term infants and 4 weeks for preterm infants—and does not improve, even if it deepens or fades repeatedly or within 1 to several weeks after birth, it is considered pathological jaundice. Blue light therapy is necessary. Exchange transfusion can effectively reduce bilirubin, exchange sensitized red blood cells, and reduce anemia. However, exchange transfusion requires certain conditions and may cause some adverse reactions. Therefore, the indications should be strictly controlled, as it is typically used when phototherapy fails.