excessive accumulation of bilibrubin in the blood and tissues that
leads to jaundice. It is a rich reddish bile pigment that is thought to be produced by a breakdown in the manufacture of haemoglobin, and the resultant unconjugated bilibrubin cannot be removed by the immature liver. It can cross the blood-brain barrier, and in excessive amounts it will damage neurones, especially in the basal ganglia, pons and cerebellum, a condition referred to as kernicterus. In those who do not die, this manifestation of very preterm birth places infants at risk for deafness, mental retardation and cerebral palsy. Treatment is by phototherapy using special blue lamps that aims to decrease bilirubin and prevent the elevation of unconjugated bilirubin through breaking it down to levels that can lead to kernicterus
. See Cerebral palsy, Hemoglobin, Very (or extremely) preterm birth, Preterm infants