Question

My baby was just born, and recently I’ve noticed that he’s not drinking milk as much, and his skin is a bit yellowish. I’m worried it might be neonatal jaundice, as I’ve read about it in parenting books. I want to know what the symptoms of neonatal jaundice are?

Answer

  1. Jaundice usually appears within 24 hours after birth and may be caused by neonatal hemolytic disease, cytomegalovirus infection, and other conditions. Physiological jaundice often appears 2 to 3 days after birth, with lactogenic jaundice being more common. After 7 days, complications such as sepsis, neonatal pneumonia, and biliary atresia may occur.
  2. Jaundice progresses rapidly, with neonatal hemolytic disease being the fastest, followed by sepsis. Neonatal hepatitis and biliary atresia progress more slowly.