Question
My baby is one month old, and I didn’t know what the situation would be until I found out that he had this condition. I’m especially worried and scared. What should I do if a newborn has jaundice?
Answer
The following points should be noted for the prevention and care of neonatal jaundice: (1) Jaundice often occurs due to the mother’s exposure to damp heat phlegm during pregnancy, which can harm the fetus and lead to neonatal jaundice. During the early pregnancy period, the mother should pay attention to her diet, avoid excessive intake of cold foods, overeating or under-eating, and avoid alcohol and spicy hot foods to prevent damage to the spleen and stomach. (2) If a woman has given birth to a baby with jaundice before, she should take preventive measures during early pregnancy by taking Chinese medicine on schedule. (3) After the baby is born, closely observe the baby’s conjunctival jaundice situation. If jaundice is detected, treatment should be started as soon as possible, and closely monitor the changes in the color of jaundice to understand its severity. (4) Pay close attention to the baby’s overall symptoms, such as whether there is fatigue, loss of appetite, difficulty in breastfeeding, restlessness, strabismus, rigidity or twitching of limbs, in order to detect and treat severe cases in a timely manner.