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jaundice
JAUNDICE
PHYSIOLOGY OF BILIRUBIN IN THE FETUS AND NEWBORN INFANT
 Red blood cells continuously haemolyse in the body releasing haemoglobin (Hb) which is converted to unconjugated bilirubin in the reticulo-endothelial system (especially spleen).
 One gram Hb yields 600 µmol bilirubin. In the plasma, unconjugated bilirubin is bound to albumin.
 This prevents this fat-soluble pigment from penetrating brain tissue to cause damage.
 In the fetus most unconjugated bilirubin is removed by the placenta.
 However, about 10% is still conjugated in the fetal liver and excreted into the gut where it is deconjugated by the enzyme beta glucuronidase and then reabsorbed via the enterohepatic circulation.
 The fetus therefore ensures that all the bilirubin is unconjugated to fascilitate excretion.
 In the newborn infant progressively more bilirubin is taken up by the liver and conjugated with glucuronic acid in the presence of the enzyme glucuronyl transferase.
 Conjugated bilirubin is water-soluble and is not toxic to brain tissue.
 It is excreted through the bile duct system into the duodenum.
 While most is excreted in the stool, but some is changed back to unconjugated bilirubin and reabsorbed as the enterohepatic circulation of bilirubin remains for a few weeks after delivery.
 The intestinal enzyme beta glucuronidase, which is responsible for the enterohepatic circulation of bilirubin, is also present in breast milk.
 Neonatal jaundice is therefore commoner in breast fed than bottle fed infants.
 If there is obstruction to the biliary tree, conjugated bilirubin enters the plasma and may be excreted in the urine.
PHYSIOLOGICAL JAUNDICE
 Jaundice is the yellow discolouration of the skin and sclera due to the deposition of bilirubin. All normal newborn infants have increased amounts of unconjugated bilirubin in their blood while up to 50% develop jaundice on the third or fourth day of life. In full-term infants, jaundice reaches maximum intensity by day 4 or 5 and is usually no longer evident after day 7. The total serum bilirubin (TSB) usually does not usually exceed 200 µmol/l (12 mg%) although in some well breast fed infants it might reach as high as 270 µmol/l (15mg%).
 Physiological jaundice is the "normal" jaundice seen in many healthy newborn infants. Physiological jaundice never appears within the first 24 hours of life and seldom lasts beyond 14 days. These infants show no sign of illness - they remain afebrile, drink well, gain weight and have normal stools.
 Physiological jaundice is due to:
 the high Hb level which results in a high bilirubin production
 slow hepatic conjugation
 the enterohepatic circulation of bilirubin
 The term "idiopathic hyperbilirubinaemia" is used when the bilirubin level exceeds the values accepted as "physiological" but no pathological cause is found. Idiopathic hyperbilirubinaemia is more common in preterm and breast fed infants.
 Note that jaundice is a clinical sign while hyperbilirubinaemia is idetected by measuring the TSB in a laboratory.
BILIRUBIN ENCEPHALOPATHY (KERNICTERUS)
 Free (not bound to albumin) unconjugated bilirubin is able to penetrate cells as it is fat-soluble. It damages the cells by inhibiting mitochondrial activity. The cells of the basal ganglia, mid-brain and brain-stem are particularly susceptible to this type of damage which may be fatal or may cause severe brain damage with athetoid cerebral palsy, deafness and severe mental retardation. The blood-brain barrier is also thought to play a role in preventing kernicterus.
  Risk of bilirubin encephalopathy is increased by:
 low serum albumin as present in preterm infants
 very high bilirubin levels with saturation of albumin binding sites e.g. severe hemolysis
 competition for binding sites by drugs e.g. salicylates, sulphonamides, and by non-esterified fatty acids (N.E.F.A.). The latter are increased by hypothermia.
 "opening" of blood brain barrier by hypoxia
 As these problems are more common the risk of bilirubin encephalopathy is greater in ill low birth-weight infants.
Clinical Presentation:
 usually beyond 36 hours after delivery
 severe jaundice
 tendency to retract head, progressing to opisthotonus
 depressed moro reflex
 deconjugate eye movements with "setting sun" appearance
 convulsions
 death
COMMON CAUSES OF JAUNDICE:
 Early onset
 Haemolytic disease especially Rh disease
 Onset after 24 hours: Physiological/Idiopathic jaundice
 Infection
 ABO haemolytic disease
CLASSIFICATION (NOT IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE)
  Unconjugated Hyperbilirubinaemia
 Excessive haemolysis:
 - Haemolytic jaundice - ABO and Rh blood group incompatibilities
 - Hereditary spherocytosis
 - G-6-PD deficiency
 - Haematomas e.g. cephalohaematoma or bruising
 - Polycythemia
 - Infection
 Defective conjugation:
 - Physiological jaundice - in normal full-term and preterm infants
 - Idiopathic hyperbilirubinaemia
 - Drugs e.g. oxytocin
 - Hypoxia
 - Hypothyroidism
 - Infection
  Conjugated Hyperbilirubinaemia
 Hepatocellular disease:
 - Infections: bacterial e.g. septicaemia
 viral e.g. virus hepatitis, herpes, CMV, rubella
 spirochaetal - congenital syphilis
 protozoal e.g. toxoplasmosis
- Galactosaemia (very rare)
 Obstructive:
 - Atresia of bile ducts (usually older than 4 weeks)
 - Inspissated bile syndrome
 - Choledochal cyst
INVESTIGATION:
These are not needed if the infant is asymptomatic, mildly jaundiced and feeding well. But if the bilibubin level on day 3-5 exceeds 275 µmol/l tests should be done to exclude haemolytic disease, infection, etc.
TREATMENT:
This is not required in the vast majority of infants.Early feeding lessens the enterohepatic circulation of bilirubin, thereby lowering the incidence of jaundice.
Phototherapy:
Unconjugated bilirubin in the skin is isomerized by light at the blue end of the visible spectrum (420-460 nm) to the water-soluble non-toxic isomer known as "lumirubin" which is excreted in the stools.
Phototherapy is of great benefit in reducing the risk of kernicterus and minimizes the need for exchange transfusions.
  Guidelines for phototherapy:
 Well infants without evidence of haemolysis:
 full term TSB >260 µmol/l
 preterm TSB >170 µmol/l
 Ill babies:
 full term TSB >170 µmol/l
 preterm TSB > 80 µmol/l
Note: The eyes must be properly covered to keep out the light.
The temperature must be checked regularly to prevent over-heating. As phototherapy may increase the fluid loss from the baby's skin and gut, increased milk feeds may be necessary. Measure total serum bilirubin (TSB) regularly and at least daily. Phototherapy lights have a limited lifespan and should be changed ever 800 hours. Once phototherapy has been started, the degree of clinical jaundice is an unreliable index of the TSB due to the removal of bilirubin from the skin.
Phototherapy chart
Well, term infants with a TSB falling above the line require phototherapy. Ill infants or preterm infants may need phototherapy at a lower TSB.
HEMOLYTIC DISEASE OF THE NEWBORN
 In simplified terms, there are two main types of blood group incompatibilities between fetus and mother, i.e. Rhesus and ABO haemolytic disease..
 In the former, the Rh-negative mother, forms anti-D antibody in response to a transfer of red cells from a Rh-positive fetus.
 These fetal red cells usually cross the placenta at delivery. Rarely anti-D antibodies may form in response to a previous incompatible transfusion of Rh-positive blood. In a subsequent pregnancy, this maternal antibody passes back across the placenta and, if the fetus is Rh-positive, causes haemolytic disease by damaging the fetal red cells.
 In ABO haemolytic disease, anti-A or anti-B antibodies which are present in the blood of all group O mothers, are transferred across the placenta to the fetus.
 They cause haemolysis if the fetal blood group is A, B or AB.
 Unlike Rhesus incompatibility, ABO incompatibility commonly affects first born infants.
 ABO incompatibility is rarely severe enough to cause fetal hydrops.
 There are also incompatibilities involving much rarer blood groups which occasionally cause similar problems.
HEMOLYTIC DISEASE DUE TO Rh INCOMPATIBILITY
 There is a wide spectrum of clinical presentation. The disease may take one of three main forms:
 Hydrops fetalis in which the infant is usually stillborn with gross oedema, ascites and anaemia.
 Jaundice arising during the first few hours after birth associated with a variable degree of progressive haemolytic anaemia. The jaundice is not obviously present at birth because until then the excess bilirubin has been excreted via the placenta.
 Gradual onset during the course of the first few weeks without of anaemia more than slight jaundice.
 The main threats to the life of the baby, if live born, are a rapidly progressive anaemia, cardiac failure or bilirubin encephalopathy.
Prevention:
 The use of anti-D immunoglobulin is almost completely effective in preventing Rh disease except in those cases where maternal Rh antibodies are already present.
 By giving the mother anti-D globulin by injection as soon as possible after delivery (within 72 hours) the "transfused" fetal Rh-positive red cells are destroyed before they can sensitize the mother.
 If the mother has already been sensitized, plasmapheresis has on occasion been used to reduce the amount of Rh antibody.
Antenatal care:
 detect all Rh-negative women
 history of previous pregnancies and complications, blood transfusions
 test for presence of anti-D antibody at first antenatal visit:
 if antibodies absent: test for antibodies every 4 weeks
 if antibodies present: measure level every 2-4 weeks
 amniocentesis if antibody titre 1/16 or more, or if a rapid rise in titre is shown
 amniotic fluid used to assess:
 severity of Rh disease (optical density, bilirubin level)
 fetal lung maturity (bubbles, phospholipid content)
The above factors are considered when the decision is made whether to induce early labour in order to prevent a stillbirth or to prolong life of the fetus by giving an intrauterine transfusion.
Postnatal management:
  Confirm diagnosis
 clinical features: pale large placenta
 anaemia
 jaundice of rapid onset
 enlarged liver and spleen
 oedema and ascites
 laboratory tests: blood group
 direct Coombs test
 serum bilirubin
 haemoglobin and PCV
  Resuscitation
 anticipate problems if the fetus is severely affected or preterm
 treat perinatal asphyxia, respiratory distress, etc.
 correct hypoxia, acidosis, hypoglycaemia, hypothermia
  Phototherapy
 start immediately if Coombs positive or there is evidence of jaundice or anaemia
 check TSB every 2-4 hours
  Exchange Transfusion
 purpose:
 to remove bilirubin and prevent bilirubin encephalopathy
 to correct anaemia
 to remove anti-D antibodies
 indications:
 - At birth:
 cord TSB over 120 µmol/l
 cord Hb less than 10 g/dl or PCV less than 30%
 hydrops fetalis
- Later:
 unconjugated bilirubin rising rapidly despite phototherapy
 unconjugated bilirubin level of:
 full term > 350 µmol/l
 preterm > 250 µmol/l
- Exchange tranfusions may be performed at lower levels of bilirubin if factors known to increase the risk of kernicterus are present
 Straight blood transfusion
 Repeated small transfusions of packed cells may be given if the infant is too ill for exchange transfusion
 Late anaemia may occur in the weeks following an exchange transfusion or in Coombs positive infants who did not require exchange transfusions.
 Blood transfusion indicated if the Hb drops below 10 g/dl (PCV 30).
HEMOLYTIC DISEASE DUE TO ABO INCOMPATIBILITY
This is now the most common cause of haemolytic disease in the newborn. The mother is group O and the baby group A, B or AB. Unlike Rh disease the disease process is milder and does not cause hydrops fetalis. It usually presents with the onset of early jaundice in the first 48 hours, although late onset of jaundice may occasionally occur.
The cord haemoglobin is normal and the direct Coombs test is positive. Typically the infant has a high reticulocyte count and spherocytes are seen on a peripheral blood smear. The TSB at 6 hours is usually above 80 µmol/l.
Although exchange transfusion may be necessary, in most cases phototherapy prevents the bilirubin rising to a dangerous level. As with Rh disease, late anaemia may occur.
As the blood group of infants is usually not routinely measured, all infants born to group O mothers should have their TSB measured at 6 hours after delivery. If the TSB is above 80 µmol/l then phototherapy should be started and the infant's blood group and Coombs test done.
INFECTION
Bacterial infection causes increased red cell destruction thereby releasing more bilirubin. Infection also impairs the ability of the liver to excrete bilirubin by interfering with conjugation and by obstructing the flow of bile. There is thus usually an increase in both conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin. Unexplained jaundice, especially if associated with reluctance to feed, drowsiness or vomiting, should always raise the suspicion of infection somewhere e.g. urinary tract.
PROLONGED JAUNDICE (more than 14 days)
Breast milk jaundice:
 Due to increased enterohepatic circulation of bilirubin. The infant is usually thriving. No treatment is necessary as it rarely gives high levels of bilirubin.
Hypothyroidism:
 Though rare, this should not be forgotten as a cause of abnormally prolonged jaundice. Routine antenatal screening of TSH makes early diagnosis possible.
Galactosaemia:
 Rare. Should be suspected in the newborn who vomits, refuses feeds, fails to thrive and develops prolonged jaundice. Reducing substances in the urine are a clue to the diagnosis.
Hepatitis
 Obstruction of bile flow may also cause prolonged jaundice.
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