Vasilli Kalisperas from Malvern in Worcestershire had a condition called kernicterus and it could have been treated with a light therapy or a blood transfusion but because of the carelessness of a trainee midwife who took care of him, she did not recognise the early symptoms of jaundice caused by the condition. Kernicterus is a condition whereby bilirubin, a yellowish substance found in bile, enters the central nervous system and causes neurological damage to the brain. Apparently, the effects of kernicterus was sped up by the condition G6PD deficiency which Vasilli was born with. When he was sent to the hospital two days later, his bilirubin levels were off the charts. His mother said that when he was sent to the hospital, he was provided with phototherapy but went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated.
By the time he was 48 hours old, he was sleeping excessively.
‘As jaundice progresses, it has a tranquiliser-like effect on the brain because bilirubin — which is toxic to brain cells — starts to leak into it,’ says Dr Alexandrou.
‘The baby will sleep more than a newborn should, it may seem lethargic and will not cry for feeds every three to four hours as a normal newborn will do.’ Even at this stage, if caught in time, phototherapy (which involves putting the baby under a fluorescent light) can help as it makes the bilirubin more soluble and therefore easier to flush out of the body.
However, if left untreated, lasting damage is caused to the brain.
‘Affected babies often lose their ability to move and they also develop uncontrollable movements of the body and hearing loss,’ says Dr Alexandrou. ‘Once the damage is done, there is no way it can be reversed.’
By the time he was 48 hours old, he was sleeping excessively.
‘As jaundice progresses, it has a tranquiliser-like effect on the brain because bilirubin — which is toxic to brain cells — starts to leak into it,’ says Dr Alexandrou.
‘The baby will sleep more than a newborn should, it may seem lethargic and will not cry for feeds every three to four hours as a normal newborn will do.’ Even at this stage, if caught in time, phototherapy (which involves putting the baby under a fluorescent light) can help as it makes the bilirubin more soluble and therefore easier to flush out of the body.
However, if left untreated, lasting damage is caused to the brain.
‘Affected babies often lose their ability to move and they also develop uncontrollable movements of the body and hearing loss,’ says Dr Alexandrou. ‘Once the damage is done, there is no way it can be reversed.’