Pictures of Isabella at 7 Days' Old - Gestational Age: 25 weeks + 4 days

This is Isabella at one week. Her bilirubin level was high, so she was placed under phototherapy lights, and wore a mask to protect her eyes.

Bilirubin is the waste product resulting from the breakdown of hemoglobin molecules of worn out red blood cells. Normally, it is excreted from the body as the main component of bile. Excessive levels of bilirubin stain the fatty tissues in the skin causing a yellow discoloration; this condition is called jaundice, which is why Isabella appears very yellow in these pictures.

Very high levels of bilirubin in the bloodstream can cause permanent damage to certain areas of the brain of newborns, a condition called kernicterus. This can cause a crippling condition called athetoid cerebral palsy. To prevent this, bilirubin levels are carefully monitored in newborns, and excessive levels of bilirubin are treated by either phototherapy ("bilirubin lights") or exchange transfusion.

Isabella recovered from her jaundice with phototherapy.