How long does it take for physiological jaundice to subside?

The physical health of newborns is something that everyone is very concerned about. Since the organs of newborns are not fully developed, the immunity and resistance of newborns are relatively poor. If parents do not take good care of the newborns, they are prone to diseases. We recommend that parents and friends take good care of the newborns in their daily lives. Below we will introduce how long it usually takes for physiological jaundice to subside.

Neonatal physiological jaundice refers to temporary jaundice caused by the incomplete metabolism of bilirubin, not due to certain pathological factors. According to relevant statistics, about 80% of newborns will have jaundice 2-3 days after birth, but most of the physiological jaundice of newborns will disappear on its own 10-14 days after birth.

The occurrence of physiological jaundice in newborns is related to the characteristics of bilirubin metabolism in newborns.

1. Bilirubin is produced relatively more. The life span of newborn red blood cells is short (70-90 days), and the number of red blood cells in circulation is large, so more red blood cells are destroyed and more bilirubin is produced.

2. Lack of hepatocyte receptor protein. The content of Y and Z proteins in the hepatocyte cytoplasm is low, so the ability to absorb bilirubin is insufficient.

3. Imperfect development of the liver enzyme system. Due to the immaturity of the enzyme system that forms conjugated bilirubin in hepatocytes, mainly due to the low content and activity of glucuronyl transferase in the microsomes, the process of converting unconjugated bilirubin into conjugated bilirubin is limited.

4. Bilirubin excretion disorder: Hepatocytes have temporary defects in the excretion of conjugated bilirubin. Excessive production of bilirubin can cause temporary intrahepatic cholestasis.

5. The enterohepatic circulation of bilirubin increases. The intestines of newborns are sterile and no urobilinogen is formed. The glucuronidase in the small intestinal cavity removes glucuronic acid from conjugated bilirubin and re-forms unconjugated bilirubin, which is reabsorbed by the intestines. Due to the above five reasons, the unconjugated bilirubin in the blood of newborns increases greatly and physiological jaundice occurs.

Clinical manifestations:

Skin and scleral jaundice appears 2-3 days after birth and reaches a peak in 3-5 days. It disappears in 7-14 days for full-term newborns and in 2-3 weeks for premature infants, and may disappear as late as 4 weeks in some cases. The serum bilirubin level is generally not higher than 205.2umol/L (12mg), and in premature infants it is not higher than 256.5umol/L (15mg). During this period, the child was generally in good condition and had no other symptoms.

Treatment: Physiological jaundice in newborns generally does not require treatment. However, a small number of low-weight newborns and high-risk newborns may develop bilirubin encephalopathy even though their serum bilirubin values ​​are within the physiological range. For these newborns with physiological jaundice, phenobarbital can be taken orally, 5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, and 100 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, divided into three doses. These drugs can induce hepatocyte enzymes to enhance the ability of unconjugated bilirubin to combine with glucuronic acid, thereby accelerating the disappearance of jaundice.

In the above article, we introduced something that everyone is very concerned about, that is, the physical health of the newborn. If there is a problem with the newborn's body, the parents will definitely be very worried. Physiological jaundice is a symptom that is common in newborns. The above article gives us a detailed introduction to how long it usually takes for physiological jaundice to subside.