Patient's question:
A newborn baby started showing jaundice again five days after birth, and he had not gone to the hospital for a thorough examination until the 14th day of his birth. He was told he had hypothyroidism, and the examination results for jaundice showed a level of 18.3 in the head and 21.5 in both the face and chest. Is it because he didn't get checked and take medication due to the recurrence of jaundice that led to such high jaundice levels? The blue light treatment for two days showed no significant effect. Is it because the hypothyroidism caused the jaundice levels to remain high? Thank you!Doctor's answer:
Dear Inquirer,Hello, your baby is now 14 days old, and the bilirubin level is still high. If the diagnosis is hypothyroidism, there is indeed a certain relationship between bilirubin and hypothyroidism. However, it may not be the sole cause. Regardless of the cause of jaundice, active treatment to reduce bilirubin is necessary. This can be achieved through blue light exposure or in combination with medication to bring the bilirubin level as close to the safe range as possible.