Tag Archives: exchange transfusion

Earlier this week we wrote about “The House of Gort,” a 16-minute documentary that features a family with special needs children. All three children were born with jaundice due to their parents’ incompatible blood type, and medical errors caused one daughter to develop cerebral palsy. What is Jaundice? Jaundice occurs when the body fails to expel bilirubin, a waste chemical produced by a reaction inside the liver. It is very common in newborns; the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation says that 90 percent of newborns experience some degree of jaundice in the first few days following birth. Jaundice occurs because the baby must start using its liver for the first time. Until birth, the placenta does the liver’s job. Jaundice Treatments Doctors commonly use a light treatment called phototherapy to balance out the bilirubin. Most babies respond positively to the treatment. Gina, the mother in the film, says phototherapy was effective…
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