What causes neonatal jaundice?

Neonatal jaundice is generally caused by abnormal bilirubin metabolism. The specific conditions include physiological and pathological types. Parents need to observe the baby's condition.

After a newborn is born, the red blood cells in the body are renewed quickly, and the immature liver cannot process the bilirubin produced by metabolism in time, which can easily cause the skin and whites of the eyes to turn yellow. This is mostly physiological jaundice, which usually disappears on its own within one or two weeks. However, if jaundice lasts for a long time or tends to worsen, it may be related to pathological factors, such as hemolysis, infection or liver dysfunction.

For physiological jaundice, it is sufficient to keep the newborn feeding normally, because eating more milk helps to excrete bilirubin through feces and urine. If the jaundice is dark in color or lasts for more than two weeks, you should be alert to pathological conditions and consult a pediatrician as soon as possible for necessary examinations, such as measuring serum bilirubin levels to assess the condition and determine whether phototherapy or other treatment is needed.

In daily care, the baby's sun exposure time can be appropriately increased, but it should be avoided to avoid excessive exposure to the sun to avoid damaging the baby's delicate skin. If parents find that the jaundice is getting worse, accompanied by abnormal symptoms, or the baby's mental state is not good, they should take the child to the doctor in time and let a professional doctor judge and treat it.