Patient's question:
The child has had severe jaundice since birth. I don't want to give medication at such a young age because the child is suffering too much. I was wondering if drinking water could help alleviate it. However, some people say it's not good to give water to babies this young. I'd like to ask if it's beneficial for newborns with high jaundice to drink more boiled water?Doctor's answer:
Newborns with high jaundice index are primarily treated with blue light exposure combined with oral medication or intravenous administration of jaundice treatment drugs. As long as the jaundice index can be reduced in a timely manner, it is unrelated to jaundice, and the main goal is to avoid serious complications such as bilirubin encephalopathy or kernicterus. For newborns requiring blood transfusion treatment, attention should be paid to keeping them warm, feeding them appropriately earlier, providing sufficient water and energy, and expelling meconium early, which can alleviate the severity of physiological jaundice.