Patient's question:
Because the baby has been in poor health since birth, I recently took the baby for a check-up. The test results showed high bilirubin in the baby. The doctor recommended blue light treatment. Is high bilirubin in newborns a result of "overheating"?Doctor's answer:
This disease is both physiological and pathological, and it is unrelated to "overheating." 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. Physiological jaundice is a transient form of jaundice caused by bilirubin metabolism. It typically develops 2 to 3 days after birth, peaks between 4 to 6 days, and subsides by 7 to 10 days. Premature infants have a longer lifespan. In addition to mild loss of appetite, there are no other clinical symptoms.