MamasHealth.com Home Brain and Nerve Conditions Aneurysm Aphasia Brain Tumors Cerebral Palsy Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Coma Concussion Creutzfeldt-Jacob Dyslexia Encephalitis Epilepsy Head banging Heal headaches Hydrocephalus Kernicterus Lou Gehrig's disease Meningitis Migraines Multiple sclerosis Parkinson's disease Strokes Syncope Vertigo Links Email Mama Migraine Cure My Achy Breaky Head Personal story about battle with migraines Supporting a family on one income	What is Kernicterus? Kernicterus is a form of brain damage caused by excessive jaundice. It causes athetoid cerebral palsy and hearing loss. In some cases, kernicterus also causes problems with vision and teeth, and mental retardation. In newborn babies with kernicterus, the liver makes too much yellow pigment called bilirubin. When too much bilirubin builds up in a new baby's body, the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow. This yellow coloring is called jaundice. Jaundice is very common in newborn babies and usually goes away by itself. A little jaundice is not a problem, but a few babies have too much jaundice. If not treated, high levels of bilirubin can damage the brain. Kernicterus occurs more often in premature infants than full-term infants. Kernicterus is also called Bilirubin Encephalopathy. Symptoms of Kernicterus jaundice decreased muscle tone (hypotonic) increased muscle tone (hypertonic) arching of the head and back backwards. fever mortormental retardation olyhydramnios (before birth) Who can develop Kernicterus? Any baby with untreated jaundice is at risk of developing kernicterus. Can Kernicterus be Treated? Yes. Treatment depends on the severity of the condition. Usually treatment for Kernicterus focuses on decreasing the amount of unconjugated bilirubin in the blood. Once the amount of unconjugated bilirubin in the blood decreases, jaundice should go away.	Your product featured on MamasHealth.com Sign up for our Email Newsletter For Email Marketing you can trust
	Hot Topics: Domestic Violence: A pre-existing condition? Serena: The wanna be vegetarian Personal Story: How I recovered from my Eating Disorder Mama wants to help: Food Bank programs and shelter assistance Lucy Goes Green: Talk dirty to me How to avoid Swine Flu What no one will tell you about tummy tuck surgery Mama's favorite item of the week: Trees for the Future Foods for weight loss Win a Gift Bag filled with Goodies from Stonyfield
	Information obtained from MamasHealth.com™ should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner, nor should it be inferred as such. Always check with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about a specific condition. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use. Contact us: PO Box 2170, Pasadena, CA 91102-2170 ©2000 - 2009 MamasHealth, Inc.™. All rights reserved