【Popular Science】Neonatal jaundice

Next, Qin Dongmei, deputy director and attending physician of the Department of Pediatrics at Chenjiaqiao Hospital in Shapingba District, will share with you some knowledge related to neonatal jaundice.

Neonatal jaundice refers to the abnormal metabolism of bilirubin in the newborn, which causes the bilirubin level in the blood to rise. As the name suggests, the most obvious symptom of jaundice is yellowing of the skin. As the saying goes: nine out of ten babies are yellow.

Yellowing area: It starts from the white of the eyes. When the symptoms become more severe, the yellowing area will extend from the face to the trunk, limbs and even the palms and soles of the feet. If you find that the trunk of the baby has also started to turn yellow, you should seek medical attention in time.

Total bilirubin: Transcutaneous bile measurement on the first day after birth is >6mg/dl, on the second day >9mg/dl, on the third day >12.9mg/dl. Be sure to go to the hospital for treatment!

If your baby still has jaundice around one month old, you need to be alert to bile stasis or bile duct obstruction. You can judge by observing the baby's stool. If the bile is not accumulated in the body and is discharged, the stool will naturally be a vibrant green. If the bile cannot be discharged, the stool will definitely be pale white.

In simple terms: Physiological jaundice generally does not require diagnosis or treatment and will disappear automatically within 2 weeks. Remember to go to the community or hospital for transcutaneous biliary testing (non-invasive and convenient) on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th days after birth and closely monitor bilirubin.

Pathological jaundice needs to be taken seriously! Generally, it needs medication and phototherapy, and severe cases may also require blood transfusion.

Let me tell you the truth: Sunbathing? You can try it for physiological jaundice, but be careful not to overexpose your baby to damage the skin. But for pathological jaundice, it is impossible to diagnose and treat it by sunbathing!

Don't easily believe that taking a Chinese medicine bath or taking Chinese medicine at home will do the trick. If something goes wrong, the person who gave the advice will not be held responsible at all, and you may have to endure the pain of your baby suffering from brain disease and disability for life!

As for phototherapy, many parents always think that their babies will be harmed by strong blue light. Here, I can tell you responsibly that blue light therapy (phototherapy) has been widely used around the world for more than 40 years, and practice has proved that this method is absolutely safe and effective. When giving your baby phototherapy, he or she will also wear an eye mask to protect his or her eyes and cover his or her genitals.

Don’t put your child’s health at risk! This is an unbearable burden in life. If pathological jaundice is not diagnosed and treated in time, the best treatment period is missed or the treatment method is inappropriate, the baby may face:

1. Bilirubin encephalopathy: cramps, cerebral palsy, visual/hearing damage, enamel hypoplasia...

2. Cirrhosis: Liver failure caused by cholestasis requires liver transplantation. The baby may also face the risk of infection after the transplant.

Finally, I would like to remind all the moms and dads again: the worst thing about jaundice is being bold and careless!

If your baby has even a little yellowish color after birth, you must pay attention to it! Go to the community or hospital for regular transcutaneous monitoring. If the bilirubin exceeds 12.9mg/dl, you must get treatment immediately!

Pediatric consultation telephone number:

023-81151788 023-81151789

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