Patient's question:
The child was just born and has neonatal jaundice. Let's learn about neonatal jaundice, its causes, and if it's normal?Doctor's answer:
Neonatal jaundice refers to a condition characterized by jaundice in the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera, caused by elevated levels of bilirubin in the blood due to abnormal bilirubin metabolism during the neonatal period. Physiological jaundice typically appears 2 to 3 days after birth, peaks between 4 to 6 days, and resolves within 7 to 10 days. Premature infants may experience a longer duration, with only mild loss of appetite as the primary clinical symptom.Neonatal jaundice is, in fact, a normal phenomenon. It is a common occurrence that typically happens after a newborn is born. The reason for neonatal jaundice is that the liver of a newborn is not yet fully developed at birth and cannot effectively eliminate certain substances from the body, making it a normal condition.