What is the standard jaundice value? How long does it take for neonatal jaundice to appear?

Medically, jaundice in babies under one month old (within 28 days of birth) is called neonatal jaundice. The main symptoms are yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera. The baby has a poor appetite, is restless, and may have a slightly elevated body temperature. Neonatal jaundice is a very common disease in newborns. Clinically, 60% of full-term babies will develop jaundice within a week after birth, and 80% of premature babies will develop jaundice within 24 hours after birth.

Neonatal jaundice is mainly caused by the incomplete development of the liver function of the newborn, abnormal bilirubin metabolism, and increased bilirubin concentration in the blood. It can be divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. Experts on the standard of neonatal jaundice index believe that jaundice is generally divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. As long as it exceeds the range of physiological jaundice, it is called pathological jaundice.

1. Physiological jaundice: Usually, the skin of a newborn baby is a little yellow, which can be seen with the naked eye two days after birth. It reaches its peak at 3 to 5 days and will mostly disappear at 7 to 10 days. At this time, the jaundice index (serum bilirubin value) generally does not exceed 15 mg/dL, which is within the normal range.

2. Pathological jaundice There are many causes of pathological jaundice. The standards for full-term and premature babies are different. If the mother finds the following conditions, she should send the baby to the hospital for observation:

(1) If jaundice is found in a newborn within 24 hours of birth, it is considered early-onset jaundice.

(2) The jaundice index rises too high all of a sudden, increasing by more than 5 mg/dL a day. This is a common symptom of hemolytic jaundice (the blood types of the mother and baby are incompatible).

(3) The jaundice index is too high, reaching 15 mg/dL.

(4) It lasts too long. Physiological jaundice usually lasts for 7 to 10 days. If it lasts for more than two weeks, you should pay attention.

What to do if the newborn has high jaundice? Newborns will develop jaundice 3 to 5 days after birth, which is a normal phenomenon. The jaundice index should generally not exceed 15mg/dL. This is within the normal range and is physiological. You don’t need to be too nervous, but if the jaundice index is high, you can try the following methods.

1. Drink boiled water. You must feed your child 30ml of boiled water every morning and evening, and drink an appropriate amount of water during the day, so that the child can get rid of jaundice as soon as possible. If you are breastfeeding, it is okay, but if you are drinking formula milk, you need to add water.

2. Drink glucose. When the neonatal jaundice index is high, give the child some glucose water. Add glucose to water and feed it to the child. This is an effective way to remove jaundice.

3. Sunbathing. Let your child bask in the sun around 10 o'clock every morning when the sun is not very strong. Try to expose the child's skin to the sun as much as possible, but avoid exposing the eyes.

4. Stop breastfeeding. If the above methods do not work, then stop breastfeeding for two to three days, because the cause of high jaundice may be breast milk, so after stopping breastfeeding, the jaundice index will drop. If the jaundice index is still high for a long time, it may be pathological, and it is recommended to go to the hospital for treatment.