Why do newborn babies have jaundice?

The cause of jaundice in newborn babies is usually related to their incomplete liver development, a large number of red blood cells, and the special metabolism of bilirubin. It may also be affected by environmental factors, incompatibility of maternal and fetal blood types, or certain diseases. Parents need to seek medical attention and receive professional evaluation in time according to the type and severity of jaundice to ensure proper treatment.

1. Genetic factors

Some neonatal jaundice may be related to genetics. For example, if parents have a history of hereditary hemolytic diseases such as G6PD deficiency, the child is prone to jaundice due to high bilirubin. If there are metabolic-related genetic diseases in the family, such as Gilbert syndrome, it may also lead to bilirubin avoidance disorders and aggravate jaundice. For such problems, parents should inform the genetic history as early as possible for early detection and intervention.

2 Environmental factors

Some external factors can also affect the occurrence of jaundice. For example, premature babies will have a significantly higher incidence of jaundice due to insufficient physiological function development after the mother's premature delivery. If breastfeeding is not timely after birth, the supply of albumin that binds to bilirubin will be reduced due to insufficient feeding, which may lead to aggravated jaundice. Parents are advised to pay attention to timely nutrition for newborns according to the doctor's advice to promote metabolism.

3 Physiological factors

The liver of newborns is not fully developed yet, which is the physiological cause of most jaundice. In the first few days after birth, the excretion of bilirubin still needs time to adapt, and excessive bilirubin easily accumulates in the blood and causes jaundice. This type of jaundice gradually improves with the development of the liver in most full-term infants, and parents do not need to worry too much, but they must pay attention to monitoring color changes.

4. Incompatibility of blood types between mother and baby

If the mother and baby have incompatible blood types, such as the mother is type O and the baby is type A or B, hemolytic jaundice may occur. Since a large amount of bilirubin is released when red blood cells are dissolved, this type of jaundice usually appears earlier and is darker in color, and may be accompanied by anemia and other symptoms. Treatment can be achieved by controlling the bilirubin level in the blood through phototherapy, exchange transfusion therapy, etc.

5 Pathological causes

If neonatal jaundice lasts for a long time or is dark in color, you should be alert to pathological causes, such as neonatal sepsis, biliary atresia, hypothyroidism, etc. Pathological jaundice usually requires a clear diagnosis through blood tests, imaging tests, etc., and targeted measures are taken according to the cause, such as anti-infective drug treatment, surgical treatment or hormone intervention.

When a newborn baby develops jaundice, parents should first observe whether the jaundice persists, develops or worsens, or is accompanied by other symptoms. Mild physiological jaundice usually subsides on its own, but if the jaundice in the newborn baby does not subside or deepens in color after more than 2 weeks, seek medical attention immediately. Scientific monitoring and intervention can effectively protect the health of newborn babies, and parents need to actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment plan and care recommendations.