My 12 days old son's bilirubin level keeps increasing. What is going on?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am really concerned with the bilirubin levels of my 12 days old son. His bilirubin was 14.2 within 24 hours of his birth, so the doctor decided to start phototherapy, which reduced the bilirubin level to 12 and he got discharged. After a day, he turned pale yellow, so we rushed again to the doctor, who repeated the test, and this time, the level was 26. The doctor started the therapy again, which reduced it again to 13, and he got discharged from the hospital again. But the very next day, the bilirubin level was 18. After phototherapy, the bilirubin level is 8.2 now. I do not know what is going to happen tomorrow. I am worried that the level will rise again. My wife's blood group is O+, and my son's blood group is A+. Whenever he gets admitted to the hospital, they give him formula milk. And when he is home, we breastfeed him.

Answer 1

Hi,Welcome to icliniq.com.I understand that you are upset with your baby's condition.

Your baby has ABO incompatibility (mother O and baby A blood group) induced exaggerated NNJ (neonatal jaundice). It is a condition where there will be an excessive breakdown of baby's red blood cells than compared to the normal situation. Hence, the high bilirubin values and prolonged jaundice. Do not discharge him when only the value of baby's bilirubin is normal. Instead, keep monitoring the values for two to three days and continue intensive phototherapy treatment. Maintain good hydration. Other than blood group incompatibility, there can be some other reasons, like infection, liver disease, etc., which might be causing prolonged jaundice. So, a complete evaluation is required.

Thank you and have a nice day.

For more information consult a pediatrician online.