How many days does it take for a baby to develop jaundice?

"Neonatal jaundice" refers to the accumulation of bilirubin in the body during the neonatal period, which leads to an increase in the level of bilirubin in the blood and the yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes and sclera of the eyeball. The following article is brought to you by the editor on how many days after the baby is born, welcome to read!

At 12 weeks of gestation, bilirubin is already present in the amniotic fluid. At this time, the fetus relies on the placenta to supply blood and oxygen, and the unconjugated bilirubin produced by the destruction of fetal red blood cells is mainly cleared through the placenta into the maternal circulation, so newborns do not have jaundice when they are just born.

After birth, the newborn begins to breathe with its own lungs to obtain oxygen, and must process the metabolite of hemoglobin - unconjugated bilirubin - by itself. However, the liver function of the newborn is not perfect at this time, and the enzyme system is not mature, so it cannot process and excrete the excessive bilirubin, and it can only accumulate in the blood. This bilirubin is like a yellow dye, and as the blood flows, it dyes the skin and sclera of the newborn yellow, resulting in "neonatal jaundice".

According to statistics, 50% of full-term newborns and 80% of premature newborns will have jaundice, so "neonatal jaundice" is a common phenomenon. Most "neonatal jaundice" is physiological jaundice, which can disappear on its own and does not require special treatment, but if it is pathological jaundice, it should be taken seriously. So, what are the characteristics of pathological jaundice?

Appearing too early: For example, if jaundice appears on the first day of a newborn, it is definitely abnormal.

Severity: Severe jaundice is definitely abnormal. If the bilirubin level in a full-term baby is greater than 12 mg/dl and in a premature baby is greater than 15 mg/dl, this is abnormal and the clinical diagnosis is called "neonatal hyperbilirubinemia."

Jaundice progresses too quickly: a rise of more than 5 mg/dL per day is abnormal.

Delayed disappearance: Normal jaundice will disappear after two weeks in full-term infants and one month in premature infants. If jaundice does not disappear for a long time, it is necessary to consider the possibility of abnormality.

Relapse and reappearance: the jaundice has subsided but then appears again. This is definitely abnormal in some children.

Increased direct bilirubin: Under normal circumstances, direct bilirubin accounts for a very small proportion of bilirubin. If it is high, the child's bilirubin will be black and yellow, which is abnormal. Also, children with bile duct problems will have increased direct bilirubin.

The harm of pathological jaundice: It can mainly cause damage to the brain of the newborn. This is because the newborn's brain is immature and the "blood-brain barrier" is imperfect. Jaundice can enter the brain through the blood circulation. Once it enters the brain, the damage caused is often irreversible. The "blood-brain barrier" of the newborn is usually fully developed 10 to 15 days after birth. At this time, bilirubin is unlikely to enter the brain, and it is not easy to cause damage to the child's brain. Therefore, when we pay attention to jaundice, we focus on newborns within two weeks of birth.

First of all, you should let your child suck more, eat more milk, ensure the intake, stimulate the child to defecate and urinate more, and excrete bilirubin from the body, which can effectively reduce the rate of jaundice. Especially in the first three days after the birth of the child, the black stool is meconium, which contains a lot of bilirubin, so you should let the child eat more in the first three days to stimulate defecation, and try to excrete the meconium within three days, so that the jaundice will not be too severe. Another auxiliary method is to bask in the sun, because sunlight also has a certain effect on reducing jaundice.

However, to judge and prevent "neonatal jaundice", it is best to go to the hospital and let the doctor assess the child's jaundice level and propose a prevention and treatment plan, especially for children within 14 days after birth. Do not delay the child's treatment and cause lifelong brain damage to the child.