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The most common cause of jaundice in older babies and children is an infection of the liver, called hepatitis. Other causes are very rare. The yellowish skin colour associated with jaundice is because of a bilirubin overload in the body. Biliriubin is a product of red blood cell breakdown, which is a normal process.
Viral Hepatitis is main cause of Jaundice.
Infection of Hepatitis B is very dangerous. Then Hepatitis C and D. All these three types of viruses are transferred through transfer of ant body fluid of any kind.
Hepatitis A is very dangerous as it is transferred through contaminated food and water. For children, it is most important as it has very deep relation with maintenance of hygiene and taking of contaminated food etc.
Jaundice is a common health issue in newborn infants. Around 60 percent of newborns experience jaundice, and this increases to 80 percent of premature infants born before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
They will normally show signs within 72 hours of birth.
Red blood cells in the body of an infant are frequently broken down and replaced. This causes the production of more bilirubin. Also, the livers of infants are less developed and, therefore, less effective at filtering bilirubin from the body.
Symptoms will usually resolve without treatment within 2 weeks. However, infants with extremely high bilirubin levels will require treatment with either a blood transfusion or phototherapy.
In these cases, treatment is vital as jaundice in newborns can lead to kernicterus, a very rare type of permanent brain damage.
Levels
The level of bilirubin is defined in a blood test called a bilirubin test. This measures unconjugated, or indirect, bilirubin levels. These are responsible for the onset of jaundice.
Bilirubin levels are measured in milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL). Adults and older children should have a level of between 0.3 and 0.6 mg/dL. Around 97 percent of infants born after 9 months of pregnancy have levels lower than 13 mg/dL. If they show higher levels than this, they are usually referred for further investigation.
These ranges may differ between laboratories. How far above the normal range a person's levels are will set out a course of treatment.
Diagnosis
Doctors will most likely use the history of the patient and a physical exam to diagnose jaundice and confirm bilirubin levels. They will pay close attention to the abdomen, feel for tumors, and check the firmness of the liver.
A firm liver indicates cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver. A rock-hard liver suggests cancer.
Several tests can confirm jaundice. The first is a liver function test to find out whether or not the liver is functioning properly.
If a doctor cannot find the cause, a doctor may request blood tests to check bilirubin levels and the composition of the blood. These include:
Bilirubin tests: A high level of unconjugated bilirubin compared to levels of conjugated bilirubin suggest hemolytic jaundice.
Full blood count (FBC), or complete blood count (CBC): This measures levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Hepatitis A, B, and C tests: This tests for a range of liver infections.
The doctor will examine the structure of the liver if they suspect an obstruction. In these cases, they will use imaging tests, including MRI, CT, and ultrasound scans.
They may also carry out an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). This is a procedure combining endoscopy and X-ray imaging.
A liver biopsy can check for inflammation, cirrhosis, cancer, and fatty liver. This test involves inserting a needle into the liver to obtain a tissue sample. The sample is then examined under a microscope.
Dear Dr. Ammar,
Please have a look at these useful links.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9139/36d4fdfae5670c5b83dc92bb1ae0af1e9ed5.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528723/pdf/pch12409.pdf
http://www.newbornwhocc.org/pdf/jaundice_new.pdf
Article Jaundice in Older Children and Adolescents
Good luck!
من الطبيعي أن يكون لدى الأطفال والكبار مستويات البيليروبين عند أو أقل من 1 ملجم / ديسيلتر (ملليجرام لكل ديسيلتر)، ولكن يزيد جميع الأطفال تقريبًا من مستويات البيليروبين خلال يوم أو يومين من الولادة، يتم تشخيص اليرقان لدى حديثي الولادة عندما تزيد مستويات البيليروبين في الدم عن 5 ملجم / ديسيلتر والصفراء المرضية تكون بعد 17 .
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