Final answer:
The baby with a cephalhematoma is at high risk for physiological jaundice due to the potential increase of bilirubin from the breakdown of accumulated blood. Conditions that cause an increase in red blood cell breakdown or slow liver processing of bilirubin put newborns at risk for jaundice, which is treatable with phototherapy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Which Baby is High Risk for Physiological Jaundice?
The baby with a cephalhematoma is at high risk for physiological jaundice. A cephalhematoma is an accumulation of blood between the skull bone and its fibrous covering. This blood may break down and increase the bilirubin levels in the infant's blood, leading to jaundice. Physiological jaundice is related to the infant's liver's immaturity, which cannot process the bilirubin efficiently. Jaundice can also be exacerbated by conditions that increase the breakdown of red blood cells, such as hemolytic jaundice. The other conditions listed (caput succedaneum, harlequin coloring, and Mongolian spots) are not typically associated with a high risk for jaundice.
Newborns are commonly affected by unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia because their liver enzymes are not fully developed, which is required to convert and excrete bilirubin effectively. Without efficient conversion, unconjugated bilirubin accumulates, potentially leading to jaundice. If the levels become excessively high, a severe condition called kernicterus could occur, characterized by brain damage due to bilirubin penetrating the still-developing blood-brain barrier of the infant.
To manage jaundice, infants are sometimes given phototherapy to break down the bilirubin more rapidly and reduce its levels in the blood, minimizing the risk of brain damage.