Neonatal jaundice value of 18mg/dl may damage the brain, but is affected by the neonatal blood-brain barrier.
Neonatal jaundice value of 18mg/dl is a high value and may damage the brain.
The normal value of neonatal jaundice is usually total bilirubin not exceeding 6mg/dl within 24 hours, 9mg/dl within 48 hours, 12.0mg/dl within 72 hours, 12.9mg/dl within 72 hours or more, and a rate of rise of not more than 5mg/dl per day.
But not all neonatal jaundice 18mg/dl will damage the brain. It will be mainly based on the blood-brain barrier. If a newborn’s blood-brain barrier is poorly developed, then the elevated bilirubin caused by high jaundice may pass through the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain, thus causing brain damage. If the blood-brain barrier is better developed, brain damage may not occur.
Newborns with high jaundice are advised to contact their doctors for prompt consultation and treatment to avoid affecting their physical development.