My son is 2 months old and his bilirubin is 81 umol/l. Is this a concern? Everything I’ve read says this is high but can only find info on the first few days of life or as an adult.
The reference chart says 2 - 24 is normal but it’s not being investigated into? He also doesn’t have jaundice.
Thankyou
Written by
Mmum1
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In a healthy infant, born at full term, bilirubin levels tend to cause concern when they exceed around 18 mg/dL .
I am having bother doing the conversion - if as you state 81 umol = 4.7 mg/dl then it is well under the 18 mg/dl (stated above) which I presume is also the unit used in saying 2-24 is normal.
I think (but not 100% sure) you are perhaps muddling up the unit sizes & baby is entirely normal - I am sure your health visitor or medical team would be getting concerned if baby was well over the normal level of bilirubin.
Best wishes, Katie -
Enjoy your little one, I am sure your health care team will keep a very good eye on you both.
Just to point out before BLT admin step in - the BLT is principally concerned with adult liver conditions so we don't have the level of knowledge in childhood conditions to provide sufficient guidance with these. I am sure your little one is just fine but you could clarify the units issue with them and just make sure his levels are fine.
In the first weeks of life babies with biliary atresia often seem well apart from being jaundiced (yellow discolouration of the skin and of the whites of the eyes) and in some cases feeding more often. Prolonged jaundice (jaundice lasting more than two weeks in a full term baby or three weeks in a pre-term baby) should be explored further.
This is all I can find on several sites but can’t find anything on why a full term baby at 4 weeks would have such high levels and especially without jaundice.
This is definitely out of my experience levels, one to push your health visitor or doctor about or contact the Children's Liver Disease Foundation as Trust 9 has suggested.
Best wishes to you and your wee boy.
Katie
Good morning - What a beautiful baby !!!
Can I signpost you to the Childrens Liver Disease Foundation, who will be able to help and advise.
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