Hyperbilirubinemia
Hyperbilirubinemia ( 4 Questions)
A nurse is teaching a parent about how to prevent physiologic jaundice in a breastfed newborn.
Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?
Supplementing breastfeeding with glucose water can reduce the amount of breast milk intake and increase the risk of jaundice.
Exposing the newborn to natural sunlight for short periods has not been proven to be effective in preventing or treating jaundice.
Breastfeeding frequently can help the newborn pass more stools, which contain bilirubin, and reduce the risk of jaundice.
It includes choices A and B, which are incorrect.
This is because breastfeeding frequently can help the newborn pass more stools, which contain bilirubin, and reduce the risk of jaundice.
Choice A is wrong because supplementing breastfeeding with glucose water can reduce the amount of breast milk intake and increase the risk of jaundice.
Choice B is wrong because exposing the newborn to natural sunlight for short periods has not been proven to be effective in preventing or treating jaundice.
Moreover, sunlight can cause sunburn and dehydration in newborns.
Choice D is wrong because it includes choices A and B, which are incorrect.
Physiologic jaundice is a common and harmless condition that occurs in newborns due to the immature liver function and increased breakdown of red blood cells. It causes yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes due to the accumulation of bilirubin, a yellow pigment of red blood cells. Physiologic jaundice usually appears between the second and fourth day after birth and resolves within one to two weeks. Normal ranges of bilirubin levels vary depending on the age, gestational age, and health status of the newborn, but generally they are below 5 mg/dL (86 micromol/L) at term.