kernicterus
A newborn baby is being treated for kernicterus under special blue phototherapy lights.
Noun: A severe and dangerous neurological condition that occurs in newborns, characterized by the accumulation of bilirubin (a yellow bile pigment) in the brain and other nerve tissues. This accumulation causes yellow staining of the tissues and can lead to permanent brain damage.
"Kernicterus" is a highly specific medical term used almost exclusively in clinical and pediatric contexts. It refers to the pathological state resulting from untreated or severe neonatal jaundice.
- The pediatric neurologist diagnosed the infant with kernicterus following a period of extreme jaundice.
- Early treatment of hyperbilirubinemia is crucial to prevent the development of kernicterus.
- Symptoms of kernicterus can include lethargy, high-pitched crying, and poor feeding.
- The term is often used in discussions of medical liability, public health guidelines for newborn screening, and long-term pediatric care, as it is considered a largely preventable cause of cerebral palsy, hearing loss, and intellectual disabilities.
- Hyperbilirubinemia (n): The condition of having an excessively high level of bilirubin in the blood, which is the primary cause of kernicterus.
- Bilirubin encephalopathy (n): An alternative medical term for kernicterus, describing the brain disease caused by bilirubin toxicity.
- Icterus (n): The medical term for jaundice, the yellowing of the skin and eyes.
- Bilirubin encephalopathy
This term has a single, precise medical meaning. It does not have idiomatic or figurative uses. The condition it describes is a serious complication of neonatal jaundice.
A newborn baby is being treated for kernicterus under special blue phototherapy lights.
- an abnormal accumulation of bile pigment in the brain and other nerve tissue; causes yellow staining and tissue damage