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Title: Why would a neonate need so many anti-oxidants? Post by: bfcjessica on Jan 6, 2013 The condition known as jaundice (yellow skin and eyes) is a result of a build-up of bilirubin and is usually a sign of liver malfunction. Newborn human infants often go through a period of fetal jaundice in which they turn yellow. This usually reflects not a liver malfunction, but rather the destruction of huge numbers of red blood cells. Why would newborns be cashing in so many red blood cells? In serious cases, neonates are often put under special lights that promote the breakdown of bilirubin. However, recent evidence demonstrates that bilirubin is a potent anti-oxidant.
Title: Why would a neonate need so many anti-oxidants? Post by: bgmaverick on Jan 6, 2013 When tissue is a deprived of oxygen and suddenly re-exposed to it (like during a heart attack), it produces many free radicals which are compounds that are chemically unbalanced and can cause damage to body tissues (in other words "oxidize" the body. Anti-oxidants bind these harmful molecules and render them harmless. This would be the case during birth when the infant only gets O2 through circulation.
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