Kernicterus - anyone had any experience??

[Becaroooo]

Think ds1 may have this.

Basically = brain damage caused by untreated/prolonged newborn jaundice.

He is now 8 and to say the "care" he got as a neonate and infant was poor is to understate matters somewhat

Ds1 is struggling academically (although is very bright) and has other issues with balance and vestibular system/anxiety/poor immunity.

The only decent website I can find (a CDC one from the US) it states that a child with this can be severely damaged (athetoid CP etc) to clinically unremarkable.

It states that it can cause;
Movement issues (yes)
Intellectual issues (yes - ds1 is struggling with reading and writing)
Issues with poor sleep (yes)
Issues with respitory infections (yes, yes, yes)

Am I clutching at straws here? The GP did mention this to me back in Feb when he referred him but paed has not ordered a repeat USS of his head or blood tests...only did some reflex tests to look at muscle tone.

Feel sick.

[IndigoBell]

:( Ask the paed when you see him next week.........

[TotalChaos]

It's crossed my mind that prolonged jaundice may have been a contributory factor to my DS' language/social problems, but I've not really pursued it, other than to mention it when health profs have asked about his baby days. Agree with Indigo about mentioning it to the paed at the next appt.

[auntevil]

one of Dolfrog's links brought up the subject of traumatic birth as a possible link to neuro developmental issues. neo and post natal issues of ventouse, jaundice etc were mentioned. I can't for the life of me remember which article, but it would have been on one of the threads re dyspraxia/hypermobility/EDS/Marfans/SPD.
The reason I remembered the jaundice was that my DS was jaundiced at birth - the only 1 of my 3. More than that, he was a traumatic birth (mainly for me - he was an awkward so and so even then!) - he had fallen asleep and got stuck - so labour was officially 71 hours and 57 minutes! Should have known he had sensory problems, had to feed me ice cubes and get me to jump up and down to get an active response from the heart monitor.
I will see if i can find it - but there have been many i have read, so a bit of a needle in a haystack