What are the consequences of severe jaundice?
Jul 08, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Shen Yonghua
Introduction
Severe jaundice can generally cause bilirubin encephalopathy, hearing impairment, liver failure, restricted growth and development, and multi-organ damage. Excessively high levels of free bilirubin in the blood can cross the blood-brain barrier, deposit in brain tissues, damage nerve cells, and trigger symptoms such as lethargy, seizures, and opisthotonus. Survivors may be left with permanent sequelae, including intellectual disabilities and motor impairments.
Severe jaundice generally causes conditions such as bilirubin encephalopathy, hearing impairment, liver failure, growth and development restrictions, and multiple organ damage. If any abnormalities occur, timely medical attention is recommended. Detailed analysis is as follows:
1. Bilirubin Encephalopathy: Excessively high levels of free bilirubin in the blood cross the blood-brain barrier and deposit in brain tissues, damaging nerve cells and causing symptoms such as drowsiness, seizures, and opisthotonus. Survivors may suffer permanent neurological sequelae, including intellectual disability and motor dysfunction.
2. Hearing Impairment: High concentrations of bilirubin can damage the auditory nerves and central auditory pathways, leading to hearing loss or deafness. This manifests as delayed responses to sound stimuli and affects language acquisition and communication abilities.
3. Liver Failure: Severe jaundice is often caused by liver disease. Persistently elevated bilirubin levels further worsen hepatocellular injury, leading to rapid deterioration of liver function, including complications such as ascites and bleeding tendencies, which can be life-threatening.
4. Growth and Development Restrictions: Poor appetite and metabolic disturbances accompanying severe jaundice prevent the body from obtaining sufficient nutrition, resulting in slow weight gain and delayed height development. The gap compared to peers gradually widens.
5. Multiple Organ Damage: Extensive accumulation of bilirubin in the blood can impair the function of multiple organs, including the heart and kidneys, potentially causing arrhythmias, renal dysfunction, and worsening overall systemic damage.
Immediate medical attention is required for severe jaundice. The underlying cause should be identified through diagnostic tests, and measures such as phototherapy or exchange transfusion should be implemented to lower bilirubin levels. Concurrent treatment of the primary disease is essential to prevent disease progression and irreversible damage.
