Question

A 5-day-old infant presents with a chief complaint of jaundice. As you obtain a careful history and physical examination, which of the following would NOT be a risk factor for jaundice in this infant?
A Mediterranean origin
B Prolonged labor with use of forceps during the delivery
C Mother is type O+ and baby is type B
D Phenylketonuria
E Poor breastfeeding during first few days of life

Answer 1

Answer:

D Phenylketonuria

Explanation:

Infant jaundice is caused by buildup of a compound bilirubin in infant's blood. It leads to yellowing of skin and eyes. There are several risk factors which should be kept in mind. People with east Asian or Mediterranean descent are at more risk of jaundice. Prolonged bruising during labor can lead to breakdown of more red blood cells hence production of more bilirubin again increasing jaundice risk. If mother's blood type is different from the child, the child might receive antibodies from the mother via placenta, hence breakdown of RBCs . Poor breastfeeding can also lead to improper development of baby making it more susceptible to jaundice.

Phenylketonuria is a metabolism error and leads to reduced metabolism of Phenylalanaine. It has got nothing to do with jaundice.