Abstrakt
Care of the Jaundiced Neonate focuses exclusively on the scientific underpinnings of jaundice, as well as the care of the jaundiced neonate. Edited by three of the field’s most respected neonatal care experts, the book uniquely explains how the imbalance between bilirubin production and elimination leads to jaundice and that hazardous levels of unconjugated bilirubin can cause kernicterus, or brain damage.
In addition, you’ll find the most current and clinically relevant perspectives on the physiology, genetics, and treatment of neonatal jaundice and related hemolytic conditions. Jaundice is the most common condition that requires medical attention in newborns.
The yellow coloration of the skin and sclera in newborns with jaundice is the result of accumulation of unconjugated bilirubin. In most infants, unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia reflects a normal transitional phenomenon.
However, in some infants, serum bilirubin levels may excessively rise, which can be cause for concern because unconjugated bilirubin is neurotoxic and can cause death in newborns and lifelong neurologic sequelae in infants who survive (kernicterus). For these reasons, the presence of neonatal jaundice frequently results in diagnostic evaluation.