Patient's question:
A newborn baby is only 4 days old. It has been diagnosed with jaundice at 13—is that high? What are the effects? Should I go to the hospital? What should I do? I'm waiting for an answer online.Doctor's answer:
Hello, this parent. I’m very happy to answer your question.Jaundice will appear in babies 2-3 days after birth, and you don’t need to worry too much about it—this is physiological jaundice. This is because within the first 7 days of life, a baby’s red blood cells are broken down more, leading to the release of a large amount of bilirubin. Bilirubin is primarily metabolized in the liver, but since a newborn’s liver is not fully developed, it cannot metabolize this excess bilirubin at once, resulting in jaundice.
Recommendation: This is physiological jaundice. The peak period is usually 4-5 days, when the jaundice is at its worst, but it will subside within 7-10 days. You don’t need to worry too much about it.
During the day, expose the baby to sunlight more often and encourage them to drink breast milk, as this helps reduce jaundice. When exposing the baby to sunlight, cover their eyes and private parts, leaving the rest of their body exposed to the sunlight. The best times are around 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day.
However, if the baby is not feeding well and the jaundice is developing into a grayish hue all over, you should take the baby to the hospital.