Definition:
Kernicterus is a rare medical condition associated with high levels of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin build up in the brain can cause serious brain damage and other neurological problems.
Kernicterus is a serious medical condition characterized by serious damage to the brain, due to excessive amount of bilirubin that entered the brain, which settled in the basal ganglia.
Diagnosis:
Jaundice and excessive levels of bilirubin are enough to confirm diagnosis of hyperbilirubinemia, which can suggest Kernicterus. However, extensive blood tests and comprehensive family and patient history are valuable in diagnosing the disease.
Treatment:
* Phototherapy to treat jaundice
* Exchange transfusion to replace the infant's blood with fresh, clean blood; in order to get rid of the existing unconjugated bilirubin (in serum).
* Albumin administration
* In some rare cases, Phenobarbital administration for the mother before giving birth and to the baby several days after birth as a form of drug therapy.
Symptoms and Signs:
Infants inflicted with Kernicterus may suffer some or all of the following symptoms:
* Hypotonia or decreased tension in the muscles ( spastic muscles)
* Involuntary, slow hand contraction (athetosis)
* Poor vertical gaze
* Deafness
* High-pitched cry
* Reduced sucking reflex
* Fever and convulsions
* Mental Insufficiency
* Anemia
Causes:
Kernicterus is caused by excessive levels of unconjugated-indirect bilirubin deposited in the basal ganglia; this occurs because bilirubin is fat-soluble and can't be emitted in the urine or bile. Due to this malfunction, excessive bilirubin flowed into extra vascular tissues and the brain.
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