Patient's question:
Last week, I had a baby boy. Shortly after, I noticed that the baby had developed (jaundice). Although this condition is normal, I want to know how to rule out whether the baby's is pathological (pathological jaundice)? Is a value of 12 considered pathological?Doctor's answer:
Physiological jaundice is a transient jaundice caused by bilirubin metabolism. It occurs 2 to 3 days after birth, peaks between 4 to 6 days, and subsides between 7 to 10 days. Premature infants remain active for a long time without interruption. Except for mild loss of appetite, there are no other clinical symptoms. If jaundice appears within 24 hours after birth, with a daily increase in bilirubin of more than 5 mg/dL or >0.5 mg/dL; it persists for a long time. In full-term infants, it remains unchanged for more than 2 weeks, and in premature infants, it remains unchanged for 4 weeks.