Question
My sister gave birth last week, and I visited her and the baby at the hospital today. I noticed that the baby’s face and body are a bit yellowish. We had a doctor look at it, and they said it’s neonatal jaundice. How is neonatal jaundice treated?
Answer
Firstly, the doctor needs to assess the severity of the baby’s jaundice. If it’s physiological jaundice, no treatment is necessary; just observation is required, and sunlight therapy can be administered if needed. For pathological jaundice, treatment depends on the severity of the jaundice, and options include phototherapy, medication, and in severe cases, blood exchange therapy. Phototherapy is relatively safe, and depending on the jaundice situation, either bilaterally or unilaterally phototherapy can be chosen. Considering that pathological jaundice is more common, it is necessary to have a local doctor’s guidance for examination to determine what condition caused it. Common causes include neonatal hemolytic disease, various infectious diseases, hepatitis cholestasis, and liver and bile duct diseases.