Hyperbilirubinemia, or newborn jaundice, is a condition that occurs when the liver produces high levels of bilirubin in the blood, causing the skin and the white part of a baby's eyes to turn a yellow tint, according to MedlinePlus. Bilirubin is a pigment that is created to help the body recycle old red blood cells. Once the blood has been recycled, bilirubin is excreted in the baby's stool. While complications are rare, this condition can have serious risk if left untreated.
Cerebral Palsy
Babies who have hyperbilirubinemia are at risk for developing cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that occurs when the part of the brain that controls movement and posture is impaired or damaged, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Symptoms of cerebral palsy include muscular weakness, exaggerated reflexes, tight muscles, a crouched gait, and/or the inability to make voluntary movements or control involuntary ones. Hyperbilirubinemia can cause cerebral palsy when it is associated with an Rh incompatibility, according to MedlinePlus. Rh incompatibility can occur when a pregnant woman's Rh-negative blood mixes with her unborn baby's Rh-positive blood, causing the mother's immune system to attack and destroy the baby's red blood cells.
Deafness or Hearing Loss
A rare complication of hyperbilirubinemia is deafness or decreased hearing. Too much builbruin can impair or damage certain parts of the central nervous system, causing brain damage and auditory neuropathy or hearing loss, according to the American Academy of Audiology. Babies who have hyperbilirubinemia may experience sudden deafness or hearing loss when excess bilirubin causes a lesion to form on the part of the brain that controls hearing.
Kernicterus
Babies with hyperbilirubinemia are at risk for developing a serious neurological condition called kernicterus. Kernicterus occurs when a newborn's brain and/or brain stem is damaged from excess bilirubin in the body. An elevated amount of bilirubin can spread from the bloodstream into the tissues surrounding the brain, causing irreversible brain damage, according to the Virginia Commonwealth University. Symptoms of this condition in newborns may include extreme sleepiness, a high-pitched cry, poor muscle tone and a fever.
References
- MedlinePlus: Newborn Jaundice
- MedlinePlus: Rh Incompatibility
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Cerebral Palsy Information Page
- American Academy of Audiology: Hyperbilirubinemia and Auditory Neuropathy/Auditory Dys-Synchrony
- Virginia Commonwealth University: Introduction: Jaundice and Kernicterus
