NEONATAL JAUNDICE MICKEY LYNCH JIMMY MULVEY AND BRENDA
NEONATAL JAUNDICE MICKEY LYNCH, JIMMY MULVEY, AND BRENDA PALMA
WHAT IS IT? • Neonatal jaundice refers to excessive level of accumulated bilirubin in the blood and is characterized by jaundice, a yellowish discoloration of the skin, sclerae (white part of the eye), mucous membranes and nails • Early recognition and treatment prevents severe brain damage
WHO DOES IT EFFECT? • Newborns (neonatal) • Their sclerae is very thin, so it is easy to identify the yellow color of the eyes
WHAT IS IT CAUSED BY? • Infection • Liver problem at birth • Blood problems (e. g. abnormal blood cell shapes) • Breast feeding issues
INVESTIGATION AND DIAGNOSIS • • • Determination of direct and indirect bilirubin fractions Determination of hemoglobin Reticulocyte count (Determines hemoglobin) Blood type Coomb’s test Examination of the peripheral blood
TREATMENT • Phototherapy (special light treatment) • Supplemental feedings • Blood transfusion (in extreme cases)
RELATED QUESTIONS • Which organs are primarily responsible for removing old or worn red blood cells from circulation? • Liver and the spleen
• How is hemoglobin broken down and excreted? • Hemoglobin is broken down into globin (a protein) and heme (a porphyrin). Heme is converted into bilirubin, which moves from the spleen to the liver attatched to albumin.
• Why would you expect the whites of the eyes to turn yellow as a result of jaundice? • There is an accumulation of bilirubin in adipose tissue
THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM & JAUNDICE • Young liver cells are unable to make bilirubin or make it soluble in bile • Decreases the likelihood of reabsorbing significant amounts of bilirubin in the small intestine
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM & JAUNDICE • There is a need to monitor blood bilirubin concentration because jaundice is the destruction of old worn fetal red blood cells
LYMPH SYSTEM & JAUNDICE • The spleen is an organ responsible for breaking down red blood cells, and thus is negatively affected
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