Patient's question:
My friend's child has been forty days old since birth. About three or four days after birth, their face started turning yellow. A week or so after discharge from the hospital, it became more pronounced. Later, I heard it was physiological jaundice, and it subsided on its own after about half a month. How can we determine if neonatal jaundice has subsided?Doctor's answer:
Neonatal jaundice refers to the condition during the neonatal period where abnormal bilirubin metabolism leads to elevated bilirubin levels in the blood, resulting in the yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera. It is the most common clinical issue in newborns. This condition can be categorized into two major types: physiological and pathological. After neonatal jaundice resolves, the skin color gradually returns to normal, and bilirubin levels significantly decrease. If it doesn't improve, I recommend going to the local hospital.