Patient's question:
After the baby was born for one day, the doctor said the jaundice level was 10.4 and needed to be hospitalized for isolation treatment. A peripheral blood test was done, as well as a test for hemolysis, which has already been ruled out. Currently, the doctor mentioned it might be a bacterial infection. Two days have passed, and no results have been provided yet. How should the treatment proceed now? How serious is this issue?Doctor's answer:
A newborn baby with a bilirubin level exceeding 10 in a single day is considered high and requires identifying the cause of jaundice. Generally, jaundice in newborns on the first day is often hemolytic jaundice. If hemolytic jaundice is ruled out, jaundice caused by infection should be considered. If the jaundice is primarily indirect bilirubin, phototherapy should be administered. If the jaundice level further increases, it may lead to bilirubin encephalopathy, which can affect the child's intellectual development.