congenital⚑ High burden in India
Neonatal jaundice
, clinically known as neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and icterus neonatorum, is the yellowish discoloration of the white part of the eyes (sclerae) and skin in newborn infants caused by an elevated concentration of bilirubin in the blood (hyperbilirubinemia). It is one of the most frequently encountered medical conditions in the neonatal period, affecting approximately 60% of term and 80% preterm newborns within the first week of life. Globally, over 100,000 late-preterm and term babies die each year as a result of jaundice, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
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Symptoms — what it feels like
- ·Yellowish discoloration of the skin and white part of the eyes
Causes — why it happens
- ·Red blood cell breakdown, liver disease, , , disordersHepatomegaly (rare)
How it's found
- ·Based on symptoms, confirmed by bilirubin
Treatment
- ·More frequent feeding, phototherapy, exchange transfusions
Complications
- ·, palsy, kernicterus
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See all of Blood →Plain-language summary adapted from Wikipedia. Not medical advice.