What Are the Long-Term Effects of Jaundice on a Baby's Health?

Are you finding your newborn's skin and eyes to change to a yellow color? It may be because of jaundice. Yes, it may be, jaundice is one of the common conditions that affects people at any age, especially newborns. They are highly prone to it. About 60% of full-term and 80% of premature babies get jaundice in their first week of birth. The high level of bilirubin in the blood is the reason for the development of jaundice and this is a result of RBC breakdown in the body, it is a natural process but when the liver is not processing it properly bilirubin accumulates in the blood results in jaundice. 

In general, newborn jaundice is harmless and it may resolve by itself but if you leave it untreated severe jaundice may lead to the development of long-term complications that can impact a child’s health and development. From the below content, you can get to know about the long-term effects of jaundice on a baby's health.

Understanding neonatal jaundice

While you are looking for those long-term effects of jaundice, knowing about it is important because this basic information can direct you through proper diagnosis. Generally, newborns are going to produce higher levels of bilirubin than adults because the red blood cells in them break down faster. Normally, the bilirubin will be processed by the liver and excreted through the baby’s stool. In this case, the liver of those newborns will be immature and this becomes the reason for the temporary accumulation of bilirubin in the bloodstream.

In most cases, this type of jaundice, called physiological jaundice is going to be mild and automatically resolves itself within a few weeks with no harm. However, those severe forms of jaundice may occur due to any kind of underlying conditions like hemolytic disease of the newborn, infections, and liver disorders.

Potential long-term effects of severe jaundice

While the jaundice was severe and left untreated the higher level of bilirubin going to cross the blood-brain barrier and that may cause a type of brain damage called kernicterus. This may lead to some of the serious and permanent neurological conditions, including,

Cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affects the movement, muscle tone, and posture of an individual. Severe jaundice and kernicterus can damage the areas of the motor controller of the brain, leading to signs like muscle stiffness or weakness, lack of coordination, and difficulty walking. Children with cerebral palsy require prompt Jaundice treatment for the long term to reduce the symptoms.

Hearing loss

Severe jaundice and development of kernicterus may have the ability to damage the part of the brain which are responsible for hearing and which leads to hearing loss.  Usually, this kind of hearing loss occurs when the inner ear or the nerve pathways between the ear and brain are damaged. Due to this kids may feel difficulty responding to sounds or developing speech and language skills. 

Vision problems

Jaundice can also affect the brain’s visual centers and this brings up the visual impairments when it is left untreated. Serious visual impairments occur like strabismus or impaired depth perception. 

Parental role in monitoring jaundice

Remember parents going to play a vital role in the detection of signs of jaundice in newborns after leaving the hospital. When you notice any kind of differences in baby’s skin or eyes appear yellow, or if they seem excessively sleepy, are feeding poorly, or have dark urine or pale stools, it may be time to visit the pediatrician immediately. Through timely intervention, they can assist in preventing complications and ensure your baby remains healthy.

Even though neonatal jaundice is not a harmless condition, the development of severe jaundice may lead to serious long-term complications if they are left untreated. When you want to prevent this early intervention is required, while you are finding the changes in your newborn’s activity or appearance there you have to take them to the hospital immediately you check whether they are developing jaundice. The early diagnosis can save your newborn's future do remember it.

For effective jaundice treatment, trust GEM Hospital’s experienced specialists. Receive personalized care and advanced solutions. Schedule your consultation now for comprehensive health management.