How much is normal for jaundice to subside?

Many newborns will develop jaundice a few days after birth, and jaundice is divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. Physiological jaundice will automatically disappear and return to normal about ten days after birth; however, pathological jaundice will continue to recur and become more and more serious, which requires attention and timely medical treatment. Then many parents will have questions, to what extent will the jaundice in the newborn be considered normal?

1. Normal values ​​of neonatal jaundice

The normal jaundice values ​​for full-term babies are different from those for premature babies. Generally, the normal value of jaundice in full-term newborns is 12.9 mg/100 ml, which means that the bilirubin level in 100 ml of blood is lower than 12.9 mg. The normal value of jaundice in premature babies is 15 mg/100 ml of blood, which means that the bilirubin level in 100 ml of blood is less than 15 mg.

When the baby's jaundice value exceeds 12.9mg/dl or the neonatal jaundice index rises too quickly (rising by more than 5mh/dl per day), or the jaundice lasts longer than the time it takes for a full-term baby to disappear within 14 days and for a premature baby to disappear within 4 weeks, or the jaundice disappears and reappears. It means that the neonatal jaundice is unhealthy and may be suffering from pathological jaundice.

2. Judgment of neonatal jaundice

First of all, you need to pay attention to whether your baby has jaundice. You can place the baby in a bright place and observe the baby's skin and whites of the eyes. If they are yellower than the previous day or yellower than other babies, the baby may have jaundice. Observe different parts of the body at the same time. If only the face is yellow, it means the jaundice is not very serious. If the yellowing extends downward to the abdomen or below, the jaundice may have reached the level that requires phototherapy.

What is neonatal jaundice?

Medically, jaundice 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 baby 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, about 85% of full-term infants and the vast majority of premature infants develop jaundice within one week 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.