Question
On the sixth day after birth, the baby’s jaundice index reached 13.7. How can you determine whether it is physiological jaundice or pathological jaundice? The jaundice index was 8 on the third day, 9 on the fourth day, 11.7 on the fifth day, and 13.7 on the sixth day. The baby is breastfed, showing good appetite and sleep, and has been drinking sugar water.
Answer
The newborn’s jaundice index shows a gradual upward trend, with the overall jaundice index already exceeding the normal upper limit of physiological jaundice. The characteristics of physiological jaundice are that it appears 2 to 3 days after a full-term baby is born, peaks between 4 and 5 days, and subsides between 5 and 7 days, with the latest not exceeding two weeks; for premature babies, jaundice usually appears between 3 and 5 days after birth, peaks between 5 and 7 days, and subsides between 7 and 9 days, with the latest not exceeding 3 to 4 weeks. The characteristics of pathological jaundice are that it appears within 24 hours after birth;