What treatment is used on a newborn with hyperbilirubinemia?

Phototherapy. Phototherapy is treatment with a special type of light (not sunlight). It’s sometimes used to treat newborn jaundice by lowering the bilirubin levels in your baby’s blood through a process called photo-oxidation. Photo-oxidation adds oxygen to the bilirubin so it dissolves easily in water.

Which drug is used in neonatal jaundice?

Phenobarbital may be administered prenatally in the mother or postnatally in the infant. In populations in which the incidence of neonatal jaundice or kernicterus is high, this type of pharmacologic treatment may warrant consideration.

What is the most common cause of hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn?

Hemolytic Jaundice. The most common causes of hemolytic jaundice include (a) Rh hemolytic disease, (b) ABO incompatibility and (c) Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency and minor blood group incompatibility.

How do you normalize bilirubin levels in newborns?

Treatments to lower the level of bilirubin in your baby’s blood may include:

Enhanced nutrition.
Light therapy (phototherapy).
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg).
Exchange transfusion.

What happens if newborn has high bilirubin?

High levels of bilirubin can travel to your baby’s brain. This can cause seizures and brain damage. This is called kernicterus.

Can antibiotics treat jaundice?

If jaundice is caused by an underlying health problem, other treatments may be needed. Causes include:- Infection (such as Group B Strep or a urine infection) in baby. Treatment is with antibiotics.

What are the causes of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia?

What causes hyperbilirubinemia in a newborn?

Physiologic jaundice. During the first few days of life, babies aren’t able to get rid of much bilirubin.
Breastfeeding failure jaundice.
Breastmilk jaundice.
Jaundice from hemolysis.
Jaundice caused by poor liver function.
Phototherapy.
Fiber optic blanket.
Exchange transfusion.

Why do newborns get hyperbilirubinemia?

Infant jaundice usually occurs because a baby’s liver isn’t mature enough to get rid of bilirubin in the bloodstream. In some babies, an underlying disease may cause infant jaundice.

How can I lower my baby’s bilirubin at home?

Sunlight helps to break down indicrect bilirubin so that a baby’s liver can process it more easily.

Place the child in a well-lit window for 10 minutes twice a day is often all that is needed to help cure mild jaundice.
Never place an infant in direct sunlight.

How long does it take for bilirubin levels to return to normal in newborns?

If your baby has mild jaundice, her provider may recommend that you breastfeed your baby more often so that she has more bowel movements. This helps to get rid of bilirubin. Jaundice usually clears up within 2 weeks in formula-fed babies. It may last for more than 2 to 3 weeks in breastfed babies.

Why does mild hyperbilirubinemia occur in newborns?

Hyperbilirubinemia is primarily caused by underlying liver or biliary disease. Hyperbilirubinemia in newborns is caused by a delay in efficient clearance of bilirubin from the blood.

What do high bilirubin levels mean for newborns?

Symptoms of high bilirubin levels in newborns are skin and/or scleral jaundice . High bilirubin levels in a newborn means that the neonate is not processing red cell breakdown effectively or an underlying cause is responsible. The treatment for elevated bilirubin in adults depends on the underlying problems. Experts suggest avoiding alcohol.

Is the baby at risk for severe hyperbilirubinemia?

The baby has no known risk factors for severe hyperbilirubinemia. You grab a transcutaneous bilirubin measurement device, press down gently three times on the baby’s sternum, and receive a reading of nine milligrams per deciliter. Does this baby need treatment?

Why is bilirubin increased in newborns?

Newborns produce more bilirubin than adults do because of greater 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.