Patient's question:
Doctor, my wife gave birth to a little boy in the hospital a few weeks ago, but later the doctor told us that the baby's jaundice index is a bit high. We don't quite understand what the jaundice index represents, and we just want to know what the normal jaundice index is for newborns?Doctor's answer:
The normal value of neonatal jaundice is related to the baby's age. Generally, full-term infants should not exceed 125 mg/dL, and if it is lower, blue light therapy is recommended. Premature infants need treatment if the level is below 15 mg/dL. High jaundice is mainly feared to cause bilirubin encephalopathy, which can affect the baby's brain tissue and leave sequelae. If the baby is doing well, you can expose them to more sunlight. All of these methods help reduce jaundice in the baby.