Hyperbilirubinemia is a condition in the human body when a high amount of the bile pigment, bilirubin, is retained in the blood stream. Bilirubin is produced during the chemical process of the breakdown of hemoglobin. If the body is not able to remove this byproduct from the blood stream efficiently, the level of bilirubin in the blood stream increases, causing hyperbilirubinemia. This condition is more commonly known as a form of jaundice and predominantly occurs in young children.
Causes
In newborn babies, the most common causes of hyperbilirubinemia are dehydration and low intake of calories. These causes are most likely to occur during the first few weeks after the child's birth. Inadequate liver function in the baby can also cause this condition, as the liver is the organ that functions to excrete bilirubin from blood. There are several other diseases that can reduce the child's ability to remove bilirubin, some of which are excessive bleeding, hemorrhage and hemolytic disease---also known as Rh disease which increases the breakdown of hemoglobin to abnormal levels. In adults, this condition is caused by severe infections known as hepatitis, consumption of excessive alcohol which damages the liver and presence of autoimmune disorders.
Symptoms
Bilirubin has a coloring pigment, which causes yellowing of the skin. The yellowing usually begins in the eyes and the face, and moves downward in the body. Another symptom is the continuous feeling of lethargy and fatigue. The color of urine can also be an important indication of this condition, as hyperbilirubinemia causes the urine to become dark in color. However, most of the symptoms for hyperbilirubinemia are also the symptoms for other medical conditions, and it is advisable to consult the doctor before coming to any conclusions.
Complications
The large contents of bilirubin can move along the blood stream to any part of the body, thus causing severe threat to the functioning of various body parts. One major complication arises if the bilirubin moves to the brain. This causes a disease called kernicterus, and it can develop into brain dysfunction and seizures.
Diagnosis
The skin color is an important method for diagnosis of hyperbilirubinemia. The doctors place the patients in a well lit room without any yellow light, to observe the skin color correctly. The diagnosis also includes pressing a finger in the cheek or stomach of the patient, and observing the change in color as the finger is released. Other diagnostic methods involve studying the serum bilirubin levels in the blood very frequently, and the doctors produce a chart to observe the trend.
The diagnosis of the underlying cause of hyperbilirubinemia can only be done after a detailed study of the family medical history, blood tests of the mother and child, looking for blood group incompatibility, Rh incompatibility and RBC count.
Treatment and Prevention
Hyperbilirubinemia can be prevented and cured by regimenting a healthy diet and exercise. A good diet should include juices of fruits and vegetables like sugarcane, beet, pears, carrots and oranges. An all-fruit diet helps in recovering from this condition rapidly. Bananas are usually not recommended. An intake of food with high fiber content is advisable, while refraining from smoking, alcohol and consuming any form of fats like butter, oils and cream.
