The norm of bilirubin in a month-old baby and a newborn baby is significantly different from the same indicator in adults. At birth in children, the level of this substance in the blood is elevated. This is often expressed in so-called physiological jaundice, which usually appears before the fifth day after birth and disappears by the end of the first month.
The norm of bilirubin in a month-old baby is almost comparable with that of adults and is 8.5 - 20.5 μmol / per liter. 75% of this concentration is indirect bilirubin, and 25% is direct. Thus, in a month-old baby, the normal level of this pigment is 5.1 μmol / L - this is direct bilirubin. The norm in children of this age of indirect bilirubin is up to 15.4 μmol / l.
It’s easy to find out the concentration of this substance in your child’s blood - just pass a biochemical blood test. It is taken from a vein, however, in newborns and monthly children, veins are very poorly visible and palpable, so a sample is sometimes taken from a vein in the head area, which often shockes unprepared parents for this. Do not worry - if the operation is performed by a specialist, there is no reason for unrest.
Why, then, have many children at birth greatly exceeded the norm of bilirubin? In a month-old baby, this is expressed in yellowing of the skin and means that there has been a violation in the liver. In newborns, high bilirubin is a consequence of the fact that red blood cells, which contain a special hemoglobin, which an already born child does not need, are rapidly destroyed. This physiological process is the norm.
Bilirubin in children of newborns (an indirect variety of this pigment) in high concentration negatively affects the work of the liver, nervous system and other internal organs of the baby. Therefore, it is important to immediately determine the cause of the increased content of this substance in the baby's blood and take timely measures to normalize its level.
To find out if your child’s bilirubin is normal, just take a routine blood chemistry test. If necessary, the pediatrician will prescribe an additional examination to find out why the norm of bilirubin is violated.
In a month-old baby and during the first months of life, the most important reason for the increased concentration of this pigment in the blood is the inability of the liver to develop the enzymes necessary for its excretion from the body. Usually this is a hereditary trait that makes itself felt already in the very first days of life.
If the pediatrician prescribed any treatment or insists on the hospitalization of the child, do not ignore his instructions, in order to avoid the development of pathologies of the internal organs of the child under the influence of indirect bilirubin. Today, there are many ways to help your baby without harming his health.
In no case do not think that the reason is you or your breast milk. Stopping breastfeeding is not a guarantee that jaundice in the baby will pass. Only in isolated cases, doctors recommend stopping natural feeding during treatment. You just need to adjust the nutrition of the nursing mother to normalize the bilirubin in the baby’s blood .