Question
The baby has jaundice on the face after birth, and the doctor said at the time to observe it and it would go away on its own. Now the baby is two months old, and there is still some yellowing on the face. I went to the hospital and the measured value was 18. Is this number high?
Answer
Jaundice is divided into physiological and pathological types. 18 is not high. Physiological jaundice usually subsides by one month of age, but no medication treatment is needed one month later. In addition to skin discoloration, physiological jaundice has little impact on appetite and mood, and symptoms generally disappear spontaneously within a month. Pathological jaundice in infants not only shows skin changes but is often accompanied by crying and refusal to drink milk. In such cases, parents must take their child to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible, otherwise, it may lead to nuclear jaundice.