Patient's question:
What causes physiological jaundice in newborns? My baby had physiological jaundice right after birth, with a yellow face and skin. It looked unhealthy. I'm very worried about my baby and want to understand clearly what causes this condition. Expected help: What causes physiological jaundice in newborns?Doctor's answer:
The causes of neonatal jaundice are numerous, such as: hemolytic disease of the newborn, hereditary spherocytosis, perinatal diseases, etc. Neonatal jaundice can lead to hyperbilirubinemia and bilirubin encephalopathy, as well as cause anemia in children. Both physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice can occur during the neonatal period. During the fetal period, the oxygen-carrying capacity of fetal red blood cells decreases, and red blood cells compensate by continuously increasing in number. After birth, due to the establishment of pulmonary circulation, excessive red blood cells are destroyed, leading to an increase in bilirubin production. At this time, the liver's ability of newborns is poor, and combined with the characteristics of enterohepatic circulation in newborns, direct bilirubin is hydrolyzed into indirect bilirubin and enters the blood, resulting in the occurrence of physiological jaundice in newborns.