Patient's question:
Reference values for newborn jaundice. Is a jaundice level of 23 high? Is it high for a one-month-old baby? Do they need medication? Or should they be exposed to blue light? Or should it be allowed to gradually subside on its own?Doctor's answer:
Hello, in medicine, jaundice in newborns (within 28 days after birth) is called neonatal jaundice. Neonatal jaundice refers to jaundice characterized by the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera during the neonatal period, which occurs due to abnormal metabolism of bilirubin. Physiological jaundice appears 2-3 days after birth, peaks 4-6 days later, and disappears within 7-10 days. In premature infants, it lasts longer. Except for mild anorexia, there are no other clinical symptoms. If jaundice occurs within 24 hours after birth and does not subside within 2-3 weeks, even if it worsens further or recurs after subsiding, or if it appears within 1 to several weeks after birth, it is pathological jaundice. The normal value of neonatal jaundice is referenced by serum bilirubin.