Newborn bili levels / jaundice question

[egoldber]

Is anyone familiar with the levels for bilirubin in a 37 week infant that require phototherapy? If you could provide a link to a medical website or or a citation to a journal that would be even better.

And is there is a difference in these levels if the babies were born by emergency c-section? (But there are no issues remaining related to the emergency.)

Thanks!

[mlmomma]

Hi
this is my first time posting, so i am new to this
I am a pediatric nurse and work with babies
here is a link you might find helpful, it the aap guidelines that pediatricians use to evaluate jaundice and when to use phototherapy

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;114/1/297

because the baby got an emergency csection doesnt put you at additional risk for phototherapy

at 37 weeks, you are considered late preterm in terms of jaundice and phototherapy ie there is a lower threshold in terms of numbers to want to light a 37 weeker versus a 40 week baby

also if you look at the phototherapy chart in the article, the 37 weeker could have other risk factors, such as sepsis, g6pd, or abo incompability(when the baby has antibodies to moms blood inside of them and they are breaking down their and moms blood and not processing it through the liver yet usually moms blood type is O and baby's is something else) which also bumps them down to a lower line (lower threshold) to start phototherapy

hope this helps, lisa

[nfowife]

http://bilitool.org/?page_id=53

[Krisrich]

Emergency C/S doesn't necessarily matter. The blood types of both mother and baby are important, as well as any illness (infection) in the baby. I think this article should answer all of your questions.
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;114/1/297
I hope the baby (babies?) and Mom are doing well!

[Krisrich]

I meant to add, and the article will explain, that the age of the baby (hours) is also important. Good luck!

[egoldber]

Thank you!!!!!!!! That is perfect!

The babies are fine, but the hospital is treating her 37 weekers with 8 and 9 bili levels like they are micro preemies. She is afraid to touch them. :(

[DrSally]

There was some sort of chart that that they used in the hosp with age/weight/etc. and then they put the baby in a certain percentile. By the time I asked for a bili check at 2am one morning (DD was 36 weeks and not nursing well), DD was in the 95th percentile at 11 (I think).

I guess the nurses could just tell that I did not want to be separated from DD, so they put a bili blanket on her in our room. I roomed in with her and stayed an extra day even though I was ok to leave. They never treated her like a micro premie, that's weird.

ETA: Excellent info PP's!