Increased bilirubin in newborns: causes

Formed by the destruction of hemoglobin and other proteins in the blood and the bile yellow pigment contained in the plasma is bilirubin. Its norm in the blood is not the same: in children over the age of a month and adults the concentration of this pigment is 8.5-20.5 μmol / l, in infants - up to 205 μmol / l and even more.

So much increased bilirubin in newborns is quite understandable. The child can not breathe independently while in the mother's womb. In his tissue, oxygen is supplied with the help of red blood cells, which contain fetal hemoglobin. It becomes unnecessary after the appearance of the baby in the light, as a result of which it collapses. Therefore, there is an increased bilirubin in the newborn. It is a free, in other words, indirect pigment, which is insoluble. The kidneys can not remove it, so it circulates in the blood until the enzyme systems completely ripen in the body. When this happens, the indirect bilirubin is transformed into a straight line and will be removed.

Jaundice in infants

Elevated bilirubin in newborns causes the occurrence of jaundice. In most babies, it is physiological, occurs approximately 3-4 days after birth, and eventually disappears without a trace, without causing any harm to the body. Often jaundice occurs in cases when there is intrauterine hypoxia of the fetus, diabetes maternal diabetes. Significantly increased bilirubin in newborns can provoke the development of pathological jaundice. The causes of its appearance include the destruction of erythrocytes due to genetically, the incompatibility of the mother and baby according to rhesus factor or blood groups, liver infection of an infectious nature, intestinal obstruction, hormonal disorders, constitutional hepatic dysfunction, etc. Find out what exactly caused the onset of the pathology, can Only a specialist, based on the results of a blood test and other studies.

Bilirubin encephalopathy

If there is markedly increased bilirubin in newborns, there is a danger of its penetration into the nervous system and rendering it toxic. Such a dangerous state for nerve centers and the brain is called bilirubin, or nuclear, encephalopathy. Its symptoms are manifested in a decrease in the newborn suckling reflex, lowering blood pressure, severe drowsiness, and convulsions. By the age of six months, the baby may experience hearing impairment, paralysis, and mental retardation.

Elevated bilirubin: treatment

If the baby has physiological jaundice, the most effective treatment is phototherapy. With the help of light exposure, free bilirubin is converted into non-toxic, which is then excreted in urine and feces for 12 hours. However, phototherapy can provoke side effects, such as loose stools, skin peeling. After the termination of phototherapy, they pass. In addition, for faster elimination of physiological jaundice, it is recommended that the baby is often breast-fed. Due to the colostrum, the original feces (meconium) together with bilirubin are excreted from the body. In pathological jaundice, in addition to using the listed methods of treatment, it is also necessary to produce therapy aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease.