What to do with jaundice in premature infants

Release time : 03/04/2025 09:30:02

Premature infants are more likely to develop jaundice compared to full-term babies, and the condition is often more severe. They typically have higher bilirubin levels, and the jaundice tends to persist longer. Parents can give their baby some sugar water, but it is essential to seek medical attention at a reputable hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment.

What to do about jaundice in premature infants? Jaundice in premature infants can be classified into pathological jaundice and physiological jaundice. Physiological jaundice usually begins 3 days after birth and lasts for 10 to 15 days, but in premature infants, it may persist for up to 1 month.

If the child exhibits jaundice within 24 hours after birth, or if the jaundice develops too quickly, lasts for a longer period, and is accompanied by anemia, abnormal body temperature, poor appetite, vomiting, and abnormal color of urine and feces, these situations require the attention of parents.

Some cases of jaundice have subsided or improved, only to reappear and worsen again. This is often pathological jaundice.

Pathological jaundice is commonly caused by conditions such as premature birth anemia, premature birth infection, congenital biliary atresia, and hepatitis in premature infants.

Physiological jaundice can be managed by allowing the baby to drink sugar water, or using pears to make a decoction and drinking it. Additionally, exposing the baby to morning sunlight is beneficial.

Pathological jaundice requires the infant to undergo phototherapy.

In the event of jaundice, parents should not panic; instead, they should approach the situation calmly and take a patient approach to their baby's condition.

If unable to make a judgment, one can seek diagnosis from a reputable hospital's physician.

The symptoms of neonatal jaundice are divided into two types: physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice.

As long as the baby's physical condition is good, they are eating well and sleeping soundly without any other adverse symptoms, then it can be considered physiological jaundice. This type of jaundice is a normal physiological phenomenon among preterm infants, so there is no need for worry. The jaundice will gradually subside.

If the symptoms of jaundice appear very early in a baby, and if the symptoms of jaundice gradually worsen, it may be pathological jaundice. If pathological jaundice is not treated in time, it can easily turn into kernicterus, which will seriously affect the intelligence development of premature infants. Therefore, it is important for mothers to pay attention to this.

To determine the nature of neonatal jaundice in premature infants, it is essential to understand the symptoms associated with different types of premature infant jaundice. The condition known as neonatal jaundice in premature infants is characterized by the skin becoming yellowish upon birth.

The incidence of jaundice in preterm infants is as high as 20%, especially for preterm infants, the incidence rate is as high as 80%.

Based on the symptoms of jaundice, it can be distinguished whether it is physiological or pathological. If it is physiological, it is considered normal. If it is pathological, it indicates a disease in premature infants. Therefore, parents should pay attention to observing and differentiating these two situations.

If the premature infant exhibits a light yellowish skin, slight yellowing of the white eyeballs, and jaundice without any yellow stain on the white linen within one week after birth, then this phenomenon is considered normal physiologically and is referred to as "physiological jaundice."

Most preterm infants exhibit this phenomenon.

Physiological jaundice appears within 2 to 3 days of birth and peaks between 4 and 5 days, naturally subsiding by 7 to 10 days.

Approximately 80% of preterm infants may exhibit physiological jaundice, which appears around day 3 to 5 after birth and is more severe than in full-term infants, persisting for 2 to 4 weeks before subsiding.

This is not a disease, and there's no need for treatment.

If the premature infant skin is yellowish, even orange or jaundice spreads throughout the body, and there is significant jaundice in the hands and soles.

In cases where the skin is significantly yellowed, pressing the affected area with your finger for 2 seconds and then removing it reveals a purplish-orange hue. In such instances, it indicates that the child has developed pathological jaundice.

When pathological jaundice occurs, premature infants may present with abnormal body temperature, poor appetite, vomiting, or lethargy, dullness, staring, difficulty in breastfeeding, refusal to feed, even groaning, crying out loud. They may also exhibit anemia or a pale stool color or dark yellow urine.

Moreover, if the jaundice persists for more than two weeks after birth, or reappears after it has subsided, the baby with pathological jaundice should promptly seek medical examination and treatment from a doctor.

The reasons for jaundice in preterm infants are much more severe than in full-term infants, due to the following factors: 1. Preterm infants generally have higher levels of bilirubin (possibly related to immature liver development).

2. In premature infants, jaundice is less likely to resolve (it often persists until more than ten days later).

3. The causes of preterm birth are often also the cause of neonatal jaundice (such as congenital infections).

4. Premature infants often suffer from complications such as premature neonatal asphyxia, sepsis, respiratory distress syndrome, and intracranial hemorrhage. These conditions can exacerbate jaundice.

5. High bilirubin levels in preterm infants are more prone to causing neonatal jaundice.

How long can premature infants' jaundice clear? If it is "physiological jaundice", the normal condition is that it appears within 2-3 days after birth, reaches its peak in 4-5 days, and naturally subsides within 15 days (about two weeks).

Therefore, it can be concluded that preterm infants suffer from physiological jaundice, and parents need not panic. It is advisable to pay attention to proper care and help the baby through the "jaundice period."

The reasons for premature infant jaundice vary among babies, and the condition manifests differently in different children.

Premature infants have jaundice because of the excessive presence of a pigment in their blood called bilirubin.

Bile pigments are normally present in the blood of healthy people, but these pigments are usually cleared from the blood by the liver and then excreted through the feces.

Before the baby is born, his mother's liver takes care of removing bilirubin from him. After the baby is born, it takes time for his liver to start functioning properly.

Therefore, pigments accumulate in the blood of the baby, leading to the appearance of jaundice on their skin. This is known as "premature infant jaundice."

There are also a few exceptions. The jaundice in premature infants usually peaks around the 5th to 7th day of birth, and may take up to two months to gradually fade away.

Initially, the baby's face began to turn yellow, and then it spread down to his neck, chest, and then downwards.

In some cases of premature infants with jaundice, the yellowness has spread to the baby's toes.

For preterm infants, these symptoms are normal.

Normal values for jaundice in preterm infants are based on physiological jaundice levels, which serve as the normal range for these infants.

A term infant with jaundice has a normal value of 12.9 mg/dl (milligrams per 100 milliliters) which means the bilirubin level in 100 milliliter of blood is less than 12 milligrams.

The normal range for jaundice in preterm infants is a bilirubin level of less than 15 mg/dl (mg/100 ml).

*This medical information is for reference only.

In case of discomfort, it is advised to seek medical attention promptly. For accurate diagnosis and treatment, please consult with a professional in person.