levels The level of bilirubin is determined in a blood test called the bilirubin test.. This level is unconjugated or indirect bilirubin.. These are responsible for jaundice.. Bilirubin levels are measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Superficial If it shows higher than this, they are usually referred for further investigation.... This range may vary between laboratories.... A higher than normal level of bilirubin determines the course of treatment... How common is neonatal jaundice? Jaundice is one of the most common conditions seen in newborns. It is estimated that 6 out of 10 babies and 8 out of 10 babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy will develop jaundice.. But only 1 in 20 babies will have very high blood bilirubin levels that require treatment.. For unknown reasons, breast-feeding increases the chance of jaundice, which can often last a month or more. But in most cases, The benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risks of jaundice... do they? Most hospitals check babies for jaundice before discharge.. It is recommended that babies be checked for jaundice during routine medical examinations and at least every 8 to 12 hours in the hospital.. Baby jaundice within two days of discharge... The following symptoms may indicate severe jaundice or complications from excess bilirubin: Your baby's skin will turn yellow The skin on your baby's belly, arms, or legs looks yellow The whites of your child's eyes turn yellow · Your child seems reluctant or sick or has difficulty waking up Your child is not gaining weight or eating poorly · Your baby cries loudly Your child is showing other worrisome symptoms The cause of jaundice in babies Infants' bodies produce more bilirubin than adults due to increased production and faster breakdown of red blood cells in the first few days of life... Normally, the liver filters bilirubin from the bloodstream and releases it into the intestinal tract... and usually appears on the second or third day of life....**other causes** An underlying disorder may cause jaundice in a newborn. In these cases, jaundice often appears earlier or later than the normal form of jaundice. Diseases or conditions that can cause jaundice in a newborn include: Internal bleeding Infection in your child's blood (sepsis) Other viral or bacterial infections Incompatibility between the blood of the mother and the blood of the child Liver failure · Biliary atresia... a condition that blocks or injures the child's bile ducts Enzyme deficiency The abnormality of the baby's red blood cells, which causes them to break down quickly complications The high amount of bilirubin that causes severe jaundice causes serious complications if not treated. **Acute bilirubin encephalopathy** Bilirubin is toxic to brain cells....If a child has severe jaundice, it is possible that the bilirubin will travel to the brain and cause a condition called acute bilirubin encephalopathy....Prompt treatment may significantly prevent permanent damage... Symptoms of acute bilirubin encephalopathy in a jaundiced child include: · Inattention and anorexia Hard to wake up loud cry Poor sucking or feeding Arch to the back in the neck and body fever **Cranictros** Kernicterus is a syndrome that occurs when acute bilirubin encephalopathy causes permanent brain damage. Kernicterus may result in: Involuntary and uncontrolled movements (atheroid cerebral palsy) · Staring up hearing loss Improper growth of tooth enamel Treatment of infant jaundice There is usually no need to treat neonatal jaundice as symptoms go away within 10 to 14 days, although sometimes it can take longer... Treatment is usually only recommended if tests show high levels of bilirubin in the baby's blood. There are two main treatments that can be done in the hospital to quickly lower a baby's bilirubin: **Phototherapy:** A special type of light shines on the skin, which converts bilirubin into a form that is easily broken down by the liver.. **· Blood transfusion:** Your baby's blood is removed using a thin tube (catheter) inserted into his blood vessels and replaced with blood from a similar donor.. Most babies can leave the hospital just fine after a few days.. Prevention of jaundice in babies The best way to prevent baby jaundice is proper nutrition....Breastfed babies should be fed 8-12 times in the first few days of life....Forum-fed babies should drink about 1-2 ounces (equivalent to 30-60ml) of milk every two to three hours for the first week of life..**F*o: This general information is a limited summary of diagnostic, therapeutic and/or drug information.. It is not intended to be comprehensive and should be used as a tool to assist the user in understanding and/or evaluating potential diagnostic and therapeutic options.... This information does not include all information about conditions, treatments, drugs, side effects or risks that may apply to a particular patient. I, Dr. Mehdi Afshari, disclaim any warranty or liability related to this information or its use... > * Among the medical services provided in the clinic are periodic examinations of children, periodic monitoring of children's growth and physical development, treatment of various infectious, digestive and respiratory diseases in children and adolescents, nutritional counseling, education and periodic care of premature babies, monitoring and treatment of all periodic problems during infancy, periodic mental and physical evaluation of children.. > > *special services of Dr. Mehdi Afshari: specialized office circumcision, home visit and online consultation* > > *Practice address: No. 193, South Mehrabad, Southern Air University, Tafarsh East, Tehran > > *Contact number: 021-66602506*