Patient's question:
My daughter is a one-week-old newborn with jaundice at 340. The doctor said she needs an MRI to check for any brain damage. I'm wondering if it's necessary to do it, and if there are any side effects from the MRI?Doctor's answer:
Neonatal jaundice refers to a disease during the neonatal period characterized by elevated levels of bilirubin in the blood due to abnormal bilirubin metabolism, resulting in jaundice of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera. The severe complication is bilirubin encephalopathy. When the serum bilirubin level is severely elevated or high-risk factors are present simultaneously, unconjugated bilirubin can cross the blood-brain barrier into the brain, leading to bilirubin encephalopathy. When the bilirubin level exceeds 12, pathological jaundice should be considered. We need to give our child medication for treatment. Additionally, we should drink more water and get more sunlight, and consider phototherapy.