What causes jaundice in newborn babies?

Newborn jaundice is mainly caused by bilirubin metabolism disorder, which leads to increased bilirubin levels in the body. The specific causes can be divided into physiological and pathological types. Parents should understand the specific causes in time and deal with them according to the doctor's advice.

1 Physiological factors: Most neonatal jaundice is physiological jaundice, which usually appears 2-3 days after birth, reaches a peak on the 4-5th day, and gradually subsides on the 7-10th day. This is because the liver of the newborn baby is not fully developed and has a weak ability to process bilirubin. At the same time, the increased destruction of fetal red blood cells at birth leads to the production of more bilirubin, which causes jaundice. This situation usually does not require special treatment, but it needs to be observed carefully. In some cases, it may turn into pathological jaundice.

2. Genetic factors: Some newborns may have abnormal bilirubin metabolism due to hereditary red blood cell diseases such as G6PD deficiency and erythrocyte spherocytosis, which increases the risk of pathological jaundice. Milk jaundice may also be related to genetics because certain components in breast milk affect the metabolism of bilirubin.

3 External environmental factors: If birth trauma, hematoma, or suction or forceps delivery occurs during delivery, it may lead to increased hemoglobin decomposition and cause jaundice. In addition, premature babies are more likely to develop jaundice because their liver function is not fully developed.

4 Pathological factors: such as biliary atresia, maternal-fetal blood type incompatibility hemolysis such as ABO or Rh hemolysis, infectious sepsis, intrauterine infection, etc., may all cause severe jaundice. Among them, pathological jaundice usually appears earlier, the degree of jaundice is more severe, and is accompanied by other symptoms such as drowsiness, vomiting, and even the risk of bilirubin encephalopathy kernicterus.

5Other potential problems: Certain drugs, such as antibiotics taken by the mother during pregnancy or drugs used by the newborn during delivery, may also cause bilirubin metabolism disorders.

suggestion:

Parents need to closely observe the symptoms after discovering jaundice in their newborn babies. If jaundice occurs within 24 hours after birth, is severe, or lasts for more than 2 weeks, you should see a doctor as soon as possible to determine whether it is a pathological cause. In terms of treatment, physiological jaundice can generally be relieved by breastfeeding and promoting metabolism; pathological jaundice requires special treatment, such as phototherapy, exchange transfusion therapy, or surgery. For example, biliary atresia requires surgical repair.

Neonatal jaundice is common and mostly benign, but pathological jaundice may endanger health or even life. Intervention measures should be determined based on the severity of the symptoms, and treatment should not be delayed.