Will the hands of children with jaundice turn yellow?

Neonatal jaundice generally does not cause yellowing of the hands, but if the hands and feet are obviously yellow, you need to take your child to the doctor as soon as possible.

Neonatal jaundice is a common phenomenon caused by the temporary inability of the baby's body to metabolize bilirubin effectively. In most cases, jaundice will appear on the face, whites of the eyes, torso and other parts, while the palms and soles of the feet are generally not yellow. If the hands and feet also turn yellow, it may indicate that the bilirubin level is too high and there is a potential danger.

Neonatal jaundice can be roughly divided into two categories: physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. Physiological jaundice usually appears 2 to 3 days after birth, reaches its peak in about a week, and gradually subsides in 10 to 14 days. It may last a little longer for breastfed babies. Pathological jaundice, on the other hand, has the characteristics of early onset, severe severity, and slow subsidence, and may sometimes be accompanied by symptoms such as yellowing of the hands and feet or drowsiness and refusal to feed, which requires great attention.

New parents can make a preliminary judgment by observing the distribution and changes of jaundice, but cannot rely on the naked eye to fully confirm it. For example, after gently pressing the baby's skin with your fingers, if the pressed area briefly turns yellow, it means that jaundice exists in that area. If the hands and feet turn yellow at this time, or the jaundice persists and other abnormal symptoms are added, be sure to seek medical attention as soon as possible, and conduct serum bilirubin testing and further treatment under the guidance of a doctor.