What is the normal value of jaundice in a six-day-old newborn?

Newborns will develop jaundice to varying degrees 3-5 days after birth. Jaundice is generally divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. Physiological jaundice will generally disappear slowly. Newborn jaundice at six days old generally does not exceed 15mg/dL, which is within the normal range. However, parents do not need to worry too much. Let the baby get more sun exposure and give the baby more water. These are all helpful for the baby to eliminate jaundice.

Medically, jaundice that occurs 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 child will have a loss of appetite, become restless, and his body temperature may also rise. Neonatal jaundice is a very common disease among newborns. Clinically, 60% of full-term babies will develop jaundice within one week after birth, and 80% of premature babies will develop jaundice within 24 hours after birth.

Neonatal jaundice is mainly a disease 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 specifically divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. So, how to distinguish physiological jaundice from pathological jaundice? What is the normal value of neonatal jaundice?

In full-term infants, jaundice will subside after 2 weeks and the skin should return to normal color. The normal bilirubin value should be less than 17.1umol/L. 17.1-34.2umol/L is latent jaundice, 34.2-171umol/L is mild jaundice, 171-342umol/L is moderate jaundice, and greater than 342 is severe jaundice. Jaundice still requires active treatment, and it is necessary to check what causes the jaundice.

The normal value of neonatal jaundice is based on serum bilirubin as a reference indicator. It is normal as long as it does not exceed 204μmol/L (12mg/dl) for full-term infants and 255μmol/L (15mg/dl) for premature infants. In addition, children with physiological jaundice do not experience much impact on their appetite and spirit except for yellowing of the skin, and the symptoms will generally disappear automatically within a month. Children with pathological jaundice not only have skin changes, but also usually cry, make a fuss, and refuse to drink milk. In this case, parents must take their children to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible, otherwise it may cause kernicterus, which has very serious consequences.

Due to the special physical constitution of young children and their inability to tell others when they are feeling unwell, parents need to observe them more carefully, discover problems early and seek medical treatment earlier. Children's physical constitution is not as good as that of adults. Jaundice is a relatively common disease. Parents need to understand and discover it. Once discovered, they should take their children to the hospital in time.