This paper concerns the origin and treatment of jaundice of the newborn, giving an outline of the condition from the view-point of the obstetrician, and dealing with essential factors in the management of the pregnant woman and the newborn.
Carbohydrate metabolism in the mature erythrocyte is mainly via the Embden-Meyerhof's pathway, differing from that in other cells, which is generally via the TCA cycle. Differences are seen between fetal and adult erythrocytes in their type of hemoglobin, activity of carbohydrate metabolic enzymes, stability of reduced glutathione, osmotic pressure, functional resistance, and degree of oxygen dissociation. The fetal erythrocyte contains large amounts of hemoglobin F, and its metabolic system differs from that of adult erythrocytes; it is easily influenced by drugs, and its life span is short. Likewise the life span of the erythrocyte of the premature baby is less than that of the mature infant, while factors such as hemolytic disease of the newborn also shorten its life.
Concerning jaundice of the newborn, in addition to the nature of the metabolism of the fetal erythrocyte and its life span, the binding and transport of bilirubin by albumin and its (distribution in the body, the uptake of bilirubin in the liver), the development of specific enzymes and factors which influence them, and the excretion of bilirubin are also important, as are also the activity of glucuronyl transferase in the liver, and the absolute level of the blood-brain barrier. Further, in an investigation of the serum bilirubin concentration we must take into consideration total plasma and extravascular fluid, their bilirubin binding function, the bilirubin affinity of all the body tissues, albumin concentration, respiratory distress, hypoxia, acidosis, hypoglycemia, and dehydration.
The obstetrician's main concern with regard to hemolytic disease of the newborn is diagnosis of the disease, and its management before birth. This necessitates investigation of blood-type, indirect Coombs' test on the mother, and spectrophotometric scanning of the amniotic fluid. In deciding the method of treatment, consideration must be given to such factors as whether the labour was abnormal, whether an obstetric operation such as vacuum extraction was employed, obstetric background such as the condition of the baby immediately after birth, and the results of each test made.
Now, phenobarbital therapy, phototherapy, and exchange transfusion are often used; the problem with these methods of therapy, however, is which one to be used and when to be used. Another treatment is the administration of human anti-D immune globulin immediately after the first labour of a RH negative woman.
All these various aspects will be investigated from the view-point of the obstetrician in this paper
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