Jaundice is common in newborns and usually harmless, but pathological jaundice can be a symptom of a serious condition. Physiological jaundice is normal and occurs when the liver is unable to process bilirubin quickly enough, but disappears within two weeks. Pathological jaundice may be too severe, too early, or too long and can have symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy, weight loss, and dark urine. Medical attention should be sought if the yellow tinge deepens or spreads, or if the child develops a fever and shows signs of unwellness.
Jaundice is a common condition affecting newborns that is usually mild and goes away without treatment within a week or two, in which case it is normal and not considered a problem. However, pathological jaundice is a problem either because it is too severe, the timing is wrong, or it is a symptom of a more serious condition.
Pathological jaundice is mostly defined in terms of time. Sometimes, it may be too early, meaning it occurs before the baby is 48 hours old; too high, which means jaundice is too severe between 24 hours and 10 days of age, or too long when it occurs between 10 days and two weeks. Physiological jaundice, considered normal and usually harmless, appears between 24 and 72 hours of the child’s life and disappears from the 10th to the 14th day. Another important difference between physiological and pathological jaundice is that physiological jaundice is not a health risk as it has developed in a healthy baby whereas pathological jaundice is a health risk due to its cause or the degree to which it is present.
Physiological jaundice occurs when a newborn is unable to process the bilirubin in its system. Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment found in bile, which is a fluid produced by the liver. It is a byproduct of the breakdown of hemoglobin or red blood cells and, under normal circumstances, is released as bile through the intestines after passing through the liver. When the newborn’s liver is unable to process bilirubin quickly enough, the buildup causes the skin and whites of the eyes to take on a yellow tinge. Physiological jaundice occurs in most newborns and is due to liver immaturity. It disappears by the second week of life when the liver matures enough to cope with the amount of bilirubin produced.
Because physiological jaundice usually develops after the child leaves the hospital, a check-up should be done to check for the condition within a few days of discharge. If jaundice is noticed within 24 hours of birth, however, this is a symptom of pathological jaundice and the baby will not be discharged normally. Similarly, in children who have already been discharged, if the yellow tinge characteristic of jaundice deepens or spreads, or if the child develops a fever and begins to show signs of unwellness, medical attention should be sought.
Other symptoms of pathological jaundice include vomiting, lethargy, weight loss, and dark urine. Blood or liver diseases, genetic problems, and infections are some of the causes of pathological jaundice. If bilirubin levels exceed 25 mg, very serious conditions such as deafness, cerebral palsy, and other forms of brain damage can occur. For this reason, jaundice, regardless of its timing and severity, should always be checked by a healthcare professional.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
