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Neonatal jaundice causes

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ahmed Elsaiey, MBBCH [2]

Overview

Neonatal jaundice is caused by hemolysis of the RBCs mainly due to either intravascular causes or extravascular causes. Other causes include non-hemolytic causes such as cephalosporin induced jaundice, genetic mutations of the UGT enzyme, and hepatic causes.

Causes

Common causes

Less common causes

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular No underlying causes
Chemical/Poisoning No underlying causes
Dental No underlying causes
Dermatologic No underlying causes
Drug Side Effect Losartan, Hydrochlorothiazide
Ear Nose Throat No underlying causes
Endocrine Hypothyroidism
Environmental No underlying causes
Gastroenterologic Gilbert’s syndrome, Crigler-Najjar syndrome, Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, Biliary atresia, Bile duct obstruction
Genetic Cystic fibrosis, Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
Hematologic Cephalhematoma, Polycythemia
Iatrogenic No underlying causes
Infectious Disease Sepsis, Hepatitis B, TORCH infections
Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic No underlying causes
Neurologic No underlying causes
Nutritional/Metabolic Galactosemia, Total parenteral nutrition
Obstetric/Gynecologic No underlying causes
Oncologic No underlying causes
Ophthalmologic No underlying causes
Overdose/Toxicity No underlying causes
Psychiatric No underlying causes
Pulmonary Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
Renal/Electrolyte No underlying causes
Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy No underlying causes
Sexual No underlying causes
Trauma No underlying causes
Urologic No underlying causes
Miscellaneous No underlying causes

Causes in Alphabetical Order

  • Alloimmunity
  • Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
  • Alpha-thalassemia
  • Arteriovenous malformation
  • Bile duct obstruction
  • Biliary atresia
  • Cephalhematoma
  • Crigler-Najjar syndrome
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Galactosemia
  • Gilbert’s syndrome
  • Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (also called G6PD deficiency)
  • Hemolytic disease of the newborn (ABO)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hereditary elliptocytosis
  • Hydrochlorothiazide
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Losartan
  • Polycythemia
  • Pyruvate kinase deficiency
  • Rh disease
  • Sepsis
  • Spherocytosis
  • Splenomegaly
  • TORCH infections
  • Total parenteral nutrition

References

  1. Poland, R L (1980). “High milk lipase activity associated with breastmilk jaundice”. Pediatr Res. 14: 1328–31. Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (help)
  2. Murphy, J F (1981). “Pregnanediols and breast-milk jaundice”. Arch Dis Child. 56: 474–76. Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (help)
  3. Kumral, A (2009). “Breast milk jaundice correlates with high levels of epidermal growth factor”. Pediatr Res. 66: 218–21. Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (help)
  4. Arias, IM (1964). “Prolonged neonatal unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia associated with breast feeding and a steroid, pregnane-3(alpha), 20(beta)-diol in maternal milk that inhibits glucuronide formation in vitro”. J Clin Invest. 43: 2037–47. Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (help)

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