Acute Bilirubin Encephalopathy (ABE) is a serious brain injury that’s caused by too much bilirubin. Common in newborns, bilirubin is a yellow substance in the blood that causes jaundice.
However, when bilirubin levels become too high, it can cross the blood-brain barrier and damage the nervous system.
ABE is the early stage of these types of injuries, and can later progress to kernicterus, a permanent and life-changing condition. That’s why it’s so important that healthcare providers monitor jaundice closely, test bilirubin levels, and act quickly when levels become dangerous.
Symptoms of ABE
While they may start off mild, symptoms of ABE can get worse very quickly. Those symptoms include:
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes that gets worse.
- Extreme sleepiness.
- Poor feeding.
- Weak or floppy muscles.
- Irritability.
- High-pitched crying.
- Arching of the back or neck.
- Stiffness.
- Fever.
- Seizures.
- Trouble breathing.
- Coma in severe cases.
Injuries caused by ABE
When ABE isn’t treated in time, it can cause permanent damage. That includes kernicterus, a permanent brain injury that often includes serious complications for the victim. Kernicterus can affect the brain and nervous system and can lead to cerebral palsy, hearing loss, or lifelong movement and developmental problems.
Those are major complications that may require the child to need long-term medical care, therapy, and support. So while ABE may start off as a mild form of jaundice, it can become a lifelong issue that affects the child in numerous ways.
How can medical malpractice contribute to ABE?
ABE can’t always be prevented, and medical malpractice doesn’t always cause the condition. However, when healthcare providers fail to follow the accepted standard of care, it greatly increases the risk of ABE developing.
Those failures can include not testing bilirubin levels, relying only on visual checks, missing early warning signs, or sending a baby home without proper follow-up instructions. Delays in starting treatment or a failure to act when bilirubin levels rise, can also lead to serious complications.
In many cases, the problem isn’t that ABE was unavoidable; it’s that staff did not handled the situation correctly.
Acute Bilirubin Encephalopathy FAQs
Can ABE be prevented?
Yes. With proper newborn screening and care, ABE is preventable. Before the baby leaves the hospital, doctors should measure bilirubin levels to determine when follow-up testing is required.
Doctors should also look for risk factors such as prematurity, bruising, or blood type differences. Parents should be taught what symptoms to look for at home, including worsening yellowing or ongoing feeding problems.
Providers who follow these steps and respond promptly to rising bilirubin levels can often avoid serious complications. Prevention relies on clear communication, timely treatment, and early detection.
What is the difference between newborn jaundice and acute bilirubin encephalopathy?
Newborn jaundice is fairly common and is harmless to the baby in most cases. While it may cause a yellow tint to the skin and eyes due to a buildup of bilirubin, it goes away with little or no treatment.
However, ABE is much more serious and can cause long-term injuries. If the bilirubin level gets too high, it can damage the baby’s brain and nervous system. If left untreated for too long, ABE can cause permanent damage, known as kernicterus.
The biggest difference between the two conditions is severity: jaundice is often mild and manageable, whereas ABE is a medical emergency requiring immediate care.
Is jaundice in the first 24 hours after birth more dangerous?
Absolutely. Cases of jaundice that appear within the first 24 hours after birth are more dangerous and should be treated as a warning sign. Underlying medical issues are more likely to be the cause of early jaundice. Those issues may include blood incompatibility or the rapid breakdown of red blood cells.
Those conditions are known to cause bilirubin levels to rise quickly and can reach dangerous levels if not noticed right away. That’s why doctors should test bilirubin levels right away and monitor the baby to prevent the conditions from progressing to ABE or other major complications.
Can acute bilirubin encephalopathy cause permanent brain damage?
Yes. ABE is the early stage of bilirubin toxicity, which affects the brain. When bilirubin levels remain high, they can progress to kernicterus, a lifelong and irreversible form of brain injury. In turn, patients may suffer from conditions like cerebral palsy, problems with movement and coordination, developmental delays, and hearing loss.
These outcomes will permanently affect the baby’s quality of life, making early recognition and treatment of high bilirubin levels critical.
What should parents do if they think severe jaundice or ABE was missed?
As soon as parents believe their baby has severe jaundice or ABE, they should seek medical care right away. Once the baby is stable, it’s time to request copies of medical records, bilirubin test results, hospital notes, and discharge instructions. If possible, write down the timeline of events, as detailed information helps establish if the accepted standard of care was followed.
Why should parents contact Weisser Law if they believe medical malpractice contributed to Acute Bilirubin Encephalopathy (ABE)?
When a child suffers a preventable brain injury like ABE, the stakes are extremely high—both medically and financially. Cases involving ABE often require lifelong care, therapy, and other medical support. Families are often left trying to understand what went wrong and how they’ll pay for these medical needs.
Weisser Law is standing by to answer your questions and get to the compensation your family needs and deserves. We’ll review your records and consult with medical experts to identify what went wrong and if healthcare staff caused the issues. Contacting Weisser Law as soon as possible is the first step to holding those who hurt your child accountable.
Our team will fight tirelessly to ensure your family is compensated for not just the injury, but for any lifelong care, therapy, and medical needs your child may require for their life. Weisser Law offers free consultations and works on a contingency basis, meaning you don’t pay until we win.