How is Crigler-Najjar syndrome treated?

How is Crigler-Najjar syndrome treated?

Treatment for Crigler-Najjar syndrome focuses on lowering the levels of bilirubin in your body. Treatment could include:

• Phototherapy: Phototherapy uses bright lights to remove bilirubin from your body. During this procedure, you’ll wear protective eyewear and have your skin exposed to bright lights. The lights move bilirubin through your body as waste without changing it into its non-toxic form.
• Taking medicine to treat infections or illnesses that cause fever.
• Plasmapheresis: Plasmapheresis removes toxic substances from the blood via a blood transfusion that removes the plasma from your blood and replaces it with healthy plasma, often from a donor.
• Liver transplant: A surgical procedure to remove your liver and replace it with a donor’s healthy liver. This is an effective treatment for Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 1 and usually occurs before adolescence to prevent brain damage.
• Taking phenobarbital to prevent bilirubin from building up in your blood (hyperbilirubinemia). This treatment is effective for Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 2.