How Jaundice Affects Babies

For babies born naturally at full term, mothers breastfeed to make the best preparation for the baby. However, life has other plans. The following cases are deeply unforgettable for me. Initially, the baby has been eating well, gaining weight, urinating and defecating normally, and everything seems to be growing up healthily, except for the yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. What is the reason for jaundice that persists for more than six weeks? Since the baby takes human milk, will it be prolonged jaundice caused by breast milk?

When the baby was two and a half months old, the jaundice still persisted. Finally, the doctor arranged for a blood test, and the result was confirmed to be congenital bile duct occlusion, causing obstructive jaundice. Bile cannot be transported to the intestines and accumulates in the liver, which can cause damage to the liver and cause serious sequelae.

When the baby was three months old, he underwent a portal intestinal anastomosis surgery to remove the problematic bile duct and then use the small intestine to reconstruct the bile duct. However, the golden period of the operation, which was within two months after birth, was missed.

After the operation, the baby's road to recovery was not smooth. The liver function continued to deteriorate, liver enzymes increased, and liver failure occurred. There is fluid in the abdomen, which is so distended that it hinders breathing. The baby is about half a year old and needs to be intubated to drain the fluid. The blood pressure in the hepatic portal vein increases, and esophageal varices also appear. Excessive pressure caused vein rupture, and the baby vomited blood one night. A surgeon had to be called urgently to stop the baby's bleeding.

Since most of the liver function has been lost, the baby needs a liver transplant when he is ten months old. Misfortunes never come singly. After receiving an organ transplant, the baby had to take immunosuppressants for a long time, and as a result, lymphoma developed. Fortunately, lymphoma can be cured.

From jaundice, to bile duct occlusion, liver failure, liver transplantation, to lymphoma, this sick child's life journey was finally over, even though it was bumpy. Every time I talk about jaundice in newborn babies, I always think of this case unexpectedly, and I sincerely hope to remind parents not to ignore it even if the symptoms are mild, seek professional advice in time, and receive appropriate examinations to protect the health of their children.