Newborns Jaundice And Cerebral Palsy

Newborns Jaundice And Cerebral Palsy.
Newborns with significant jaundice are not plausible to exhibit a rare and life-threatening type of cerebral palsy if American Academy of Pediatrics' treatment guidelines are followed, according to a different study. Jaundice is yellowing of the eyes and skin due to high levels of the liver-produced pigment bilirubin. In most cases, jaundice develops mid newborns because their liver is too rudimentary to break down the pigment quickly enough. Usually, this condition resolves without treatment.

Some babies, however, must endure phototherapy. Exposure to special lights changes bilirubin into a compound that can be excreted from the body, according to the researchers. If phototherapy fails, a way called exchange transfusion may be required. During this invasive procedure, the infant's blood is replaced with benefactor blood. Recommendations for exchange transfusions are based on bilirubin level, the ripen of the infant and other risk factors for brain damage.

Exchange transfusion isn't without risk. Potential complications from the healing include blood clots, blood compressing instability, bleeding and changes in blood chemistry, according to the researchers. High bilirubin levels are also risky. They've been associated with a pressing form of cerebral palsy called kernicterus. In systematization to investigate this association, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco and the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research examined material from two groups of more than 100000 infants.