New parents have many worries and concerns for their baby. This is perfectly understandable because new parents are the frontline defender of their child’s health and safety. They are the advocate for their child, as their newborn cannot directly express what he or she is feeling, trying to say, or experiencing. They are also the ones to help the child, who is completely dependent on them, get the medical care and treatment that they need for potentially dangerous health conditions. One important health condition that parents need to be particularly careful in evaluating is jaundice and kernicterus because both could result in a serious birth injury.
Most of us have heard of jaundice before. That is the yellow tint on a person’s skin and the white’s of their eyes. It is caused by a build up of bilirubin in the blood. In newborns, this usually appears in the first week after birth. It is actually normal for most babies to have some form of mild jaundice during this time. This is because a baby’s liver and kidneys are just starting to function completely independently and have been under significant stress from the birthing process. This means they may not function perfectly right away which is why the bilirubin builds up excessively.
However, when that bilirubin builds up too high and does not adjust itself after a week or two after birth, it can become a medical emergency. This is called kernicterus and it can cause a whole host of permanent and debilitating health problems because it can cause serious and significant damage to the developing brain. This can even develop into cerebral palsy which result in serious and long-lasting medical care and treatment for your newborn.
While the symptoms of regular jaundice and kernicterus can be the same, namely the yellow tint of color, there are symptoms that you need to be aware of to protect your baby because they are more than simply jaundice and may be kernicterus. Some of these symptoms include the following:
If your baby has jaundice and some of the symptoms noted above, a licensed physician should review your baby’s symptoms to assess whether the rare and dangerous kernicterus brain damage could occur. Primary care physicians and other medical providers should already be monitoring for this, but if they do not, it is your job as a parent to do so.
When healthcare providers fail to do so anywhere in Minnesota, including in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, or any other city, please call Kuhlman Law, LLC by dialing (612) 444-3374 to learn what your rights to compensation you may have. You may also contact us using our easy and convenient “contact us” box at the bottom of our website. Initial consultations and appointments are free. If we accept your case, we will conduct a thorough review of your case and advise you whether there may have been a serious medical mistake causing your injury. There is no risk, and you do not owe us money unless we win your case.
We also handle cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, and Hillsboro. Our Oregon office number is (541) 385-1999.