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Hepatitis C (Expert Forum)
Jaundice
Questions posted in the Hepatitis C Forum are answered by medical professionals from The Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Jaundice
by shely__0__0, Jul 18, 1999 12:00AM
Posted by shelly on July 18, 1999 at 11:57:15
Does it matter that I was born with jaundice if I get the hep. booster series. And can I donate blood if I have had Jaundice?
Posted by HFHSM.D.-D.M. on July 23, 1999 at 13:30:41
Dear Shelly:
I appreciate your interesting question and I’d like to respond. However, to give you a definitive answer I would need to know what caused your jaundice as a baby and if you have any evidence of liver disease now.
Jaundice is caused by a compound called bilirubin which is made by the liver. Almost all infants have elevated levels of bilirubin at births and it is fairly common for babies to be jaundiced. This is almost always benign and goes away by itself. We called this “neonatal jaundice” and this would absolutely not prevent you from getting vaccinated for hepatitis A or B or from giving blood.
However, I have no way of knowing that this is what you had or of knowing that you don’t have a chronic viral hepatitis (hepatitis B or C) which would prevent you from donating blood. It should be relatively easy for you to get this information from your physician.
I hope this information is helpful to you. Good luck. I’m always pleased to hear someone is interested in donating blood. If you have additional information or questions, I would invite you to post the material to MEDHELP. The direct number to our Liver Clinic at Henry Ford is (313) 916-8865. At Henry Ford, we have an active group of liver specialists.
This response is being provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Always check with your personal physician when you have a question pertaining to your health.
