How low can jaundice be reduced before discharge?

Neonatal jaundice is divided into two phenomena: physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. Physiological jaundice is mainly caused by excessive bilirubin in the body, which leads to yellowing of the skin; while pathological jaundice will cause jaundice to recur repeatedly and become increasingly severe. This requires timely medical treatment or even hospitalization. In fact, neonatal jaundice is a problem that many children will encounter. As long as they seek medical treatment in time, there will be no major problems. So how low does the jaundice have to go before someone can be discharged from the hospital?

1. What is the jaundice value for full-term neonates with pathological jaundice before discharge from hospital?

Pathological jaundice in full-term newborns is very different from physiological jaundice. There are many situations, such as: the jaundice value rises too high all of a sudden, increasing by more than 5mg/dL a day; the jaundice value rises too high, reaching 15mg/dL. Usually, when this happens, the patient cannot be discharged from the hospital and must stay in the hospital for observation. He or she can be discharged only when the doctor says there is nothing wrong.

Features: 1. Jaundice is found in newborns within 24 hours of birth, which is "early jaundice". 2. The jaundice index rises too high all of a sudden, increasing by more than 5 mg/dL a day. This situation is more common in hemolytic jaundice (the blood types of the mother and baby are incompatible).

2. Manifestations of physiological jaundice in full-term neonates

Physiological jaundice in full-term newborns, also known as neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, is a normal phenomenon that occurs in 60%-80% of newborns within 2 to 5 days after birth.

Symptoms: 1. In mild cases of physiological jaundice, jaundice first appears on the face and neck, and then spreads to the trunk and limbs. It is generally slightly yellow, and the sclera may be slightly yellow, but the palms and soles are not yellow. It disappears after 2 to 3 days, and the skin color returns to normal on the 5th to 6th day.

2. Jaundice is mostly found on the face, neck, sclera, trunk and proximal limbs, usually not exceeding the elbows and knees. The color of jaundice is light pink in mild cases and darker in severe cases, but the skin is rosy with red in the yellow. Full-term newborns with physiological jaundice are generally in good condition, without anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, normal liver function, and no kernicterus.

3. Manifestations of pathological jaundice in full-term neonates

Pathological jaundice of full-term neonates refers to a disease characterized by yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes and sclera due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the body of full-term infants, which leads to increased bilirubin levels in the blood.

Symptoms: 1. Pathological jaundice often appears within 24 hours after birth and lasts for more than 2 weeks, and more than 3 weeks in premature infants; jaundice disappears and reappears after birth and progressively worsens.

3. Severe jaundice may be accompanied by kernicterus. In addition, due to different causes, there are often accompanying symptoms of the primary disease that causes jaundice.