Question
A 33-year-old woman, as a new mother, has discovered that her baby is showing signs of jaundice. How should neonatal jaundice be treated?
Answer
For your baby’s neonatal jaundice, here is the relevant technical explanation: The bilirubin level measured on the skin should be below 10 (the value may vary slightly depending on the instrument used); if a blood test is performed, the normal bilirubin level should be below 205umol/l (12mg/dl). The normal total bilirubin level for a 30-day-old baby ranges from 1.7 to 17.1umol/l (0.1 to 1.0mg/dl). The direct bilirubin level is 0 to 6.8umol/l (0 to 0.4mg/dl), and the indirect bilirubin level is 1.7 to 10.2umol/l (0.1 to 0.6mg/dl). Please conduct a urine test to determine your baby’s bilirubin levels, as skin test results can be affected by the baby’s skin color and fat thickness.