Patient's question:
Born 19 days ago, jaundice test results: head 5.9, chest 15.5, feet 6.6. The doctor recommended hospitalization for treatment. I want to ask if it's serious and if hospitalization is necessary.Doctor's answer:
Neonatal jaundice refers to a condition characterized by yellowing of the skin, eyes, and urine in newborns, which is known as "taihuang" in traditional Chinese medicine. If jaundice appears within 24 hours after birth and persists for 2 to 3 weeks without subsiding, or if it worsens, recurs after initially fading, or appears between one week and several weeks after birth, it is considered pathological jaundice.Recommendation: Neonatal jaundice can be either true or false. True jaundice refers to pathological jaundice, such as neonatal hemolytic disease, neonatal sepsis, neonatal hepatitis, congenital biliary atresia, and other conditions. False jaundice, on the other hand, specifically refers to physiological jaundice, which does not require treatment. Physiological jaundice is diagnosed when jaundice is observed 24 hours after birth and naturally disappears within 14 days without other symptoms.