Bilirubin Normal Range For Newborn

Newborn jaundice is a yellowing of a baby s skin and eyes.

Bilirubin normal range for newborn. However at times it is possible for the amount of bilirubin in the body to rise to a very high level which in turn can lead to serious health complications. Jaundice due to these normal newborn conditions is called physiologic jaundice and it typically appears on the second or third day of life. Advertisement kidshealth notes that high serum bilirubin levels indicate newborn jaundice which has symptoms that include the yellowing of eyes and skin difficulty feeding and excessive sleepiness. Almost all babies have increased bilirubin levels within 1 2 days of birth.

In a newborn higher bilirubin is normal due to the stress of birth. Bilirubin can be described as the yellowish substance that is produced by the liver when old cells are broken down. In case the levels of bilirubin in the body are within the normal range it does not create a problem. Normal indirect bilirubin would be under 5 2 mg dl within the.

Additionally normal reference ranges may vary from lab to lab. Hyperbilirubinemia excess bilirubin in the blood is an extremely common problem occurring during the newborn period. A common condition it can occur when babies have a high level of bilirubin a yellow pigment produced during the breakdown of red. Normal values of direct bilirubin range from 0 to 0 4 mg dl.

Normal bilirubin levels for older children and adults should be at or below 1mg dl milligrams per deciliter. This is called phototherapy. Medical literature sources have minor variations in normal levels. Any range below these levels is considered healthy and normal.

The cause of the jaundice is quite varied. A newborn s immature liver often can t remove bilirubin quickly enough causing an excess of bilirubin. Although the risk of bilirubin toxicity is probably negligible in a healthy term newborn without hemolysis 9 the physician should become concerned if the bilirubin level is above 25 mg per dl 428. Total bilirubin direct and indirect range from about 0 2 to 1 2 mg dl some lab values range as high as 1 9 mg dl.

The skin absorbs the light which changes the bilirubin so that the body can more easily get rid of it. Newborn jaundice neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia is diagnosed when blood levels of bilirubin are over 5mg dl. The treatment is usually done in a hospital. He or she will be put under a type of fluorescent light to treat the jaundice.

Although most causes are benign each case must be investigated to rule out an etiology with significant morbidity.