Patient's question:
I gave birth to a son via cesarean section, but starting from the third day, the child's complexion turned yellow. The doctor said it was jaundice. I was very careful with my diet during pregnancy, and all the prenatal check-ups were normal, but the baby developed jaundice right after birth. What are the causes of infant jaundice?Doctor's answer:
The jaundice in premature infants should not last longer than 7-10 days. Jaundice lasting more than 14 days is considered persistent jaundice or pathological jaundice caused by it. The occurrence of physiological jaundice typically starts on the face, then the neck, and then spreads to the chest, abdomen, and limbs. The sclera—the white part of the eyes—also appears yellow. The cause of physiological jaundice is related to the metabolism of bilirubin in the infant's body. There is a transferase that can eliminate excess bilirubin from the body. A newborn needs 3 to 5 days to mature. Therefore, during this period, too much bilirubin appears in the newborn and manifests as jaundice. When the transferase matures, excess bilirubin is eliminated, and jaundice disappears. Thus, physiological jaundice does not require treatment, as it is a natural phenomenon in human growth.