Patient's question:
Is it harmful if a baby has high jaundice? The jaundice level was checked at 220 units per hundred, and the baby is 33 days old. The doctor prescribed both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, but they haven't been effective. I'm quite worried, so I wanted to ask what serious consequences can occur if a newborn has severe jaundice?Doctor's answer:
Jaundice in infants is divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. Physiological jaundice is a normal condition, while pathological jaundice can lead to bilirubin encephalopathy, commonly known as "kernicterus," which can cause neurological damage and lead to severe sequelae such as intellectual disability in children. If an infant develops jaundice, it requires caution. Most newborns with physiological jaundice appear between 2 to 3 days after birth. For severely infected infants, early and active treatment is essential to avoid adverse consequences.