What are the causes of recurrence of jaundice?

Jaundice, also known as yellow bile, commonly known as yellow disease, is a symptom and sign of yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes and sclera due to increased bilirubin in the serum. Jaundice is common in newborns, but improper treatment may lead to serious consequences and may easily cause complications of other diseases. I believe that many parents have heard of this type of disease to some extent, but they don’t fully understand it. Jaundice is very easy to recur, so what are the reasons for the recurrence of jaundice?

1. Too much bilirubin

Serum bilirubin levels increase due to excessive destruction of red blood cells and increased enterohepatic circulation.

Common causes include: polycythemia, extravascular hemolysis, alloimmune hemolysis, infection, increased enterohepatic circulation, erythrocyte enzyme deficiency, erythrocytes, and abnormal hemoglobin diseases.

2. Bilirubin metabolism disorder

Serum bilirubin levels are elevated due to poor hepatocyte uptake and conjugation of bilirubin.

Common causes include: hypoxia, infection, Crigler Najjar syndrome, Gilbert syndrome, Lucey Driscoll syndrome, and drugs (such as sulfonamides, salicylic acid, indomethacin, Lanatoside, etc.).

3. Bile excretion disorder

Excretion of conjugated bilirubin by hepatocytes or bile duct obstruction can lead to high conjugated bilirubin, but if accompanied by impaired liver function, bilirubin conjugation can also be increased.

Symptoms of neonatal jaundice

Neonatal jaundice can be divided into two types: physiological and pathological. The symptoms of neonatal jaundice vary depending on the type.

Symptoms of physiological neonatal jaundice include:

Newborns will develop yellowing of the skin, whites of the eyes and oral mucosa on the 2nd to 3rd day after birth, with varying degrees of severity. It is usually more obvious on the face and chest, but the palms and soles of the feet are not yellow. It is most obvious on the 4th to 6th day, disappears on the 10th to 14th day after birth in full-term infants, and may last until the 3rd week in premature infants. During this period, the child was in general good condition and showed no other discomfort.

It is normal for newborns to have physiological jaundice, but parents should also pay close attention. Generally speaking, physiological jaundice is relatively mild, the bilirubin concentration in the blood is low, and it will not affect children's intelligence.

Symptoms of pathological jaundice include:

Jaundice in children may occur within 24 hours after birth, or it may persist, or jaundice may reappear after it subsides, or jaundice may progressively worsen.

Pathological neonatal jaundice can also cause manifestations of other diseases, such as kernicterus. When it occurs, the child's jaundice becomes significantly worse, and begins to show symptoms of drowsiness, weakness or choking when sucking milk, and decreased muscle tone. If not treated promptly, serious symptoms such as groaning, screaming, convulsions, and respiratory failure may follow. Some children die from respiratory failure, and those who survive often have sequelae such as intellectual disabilities and cerebral palsy.