Question
My baby is less than a month old and now has a jaundice issue. Today, I noticed his lips are particularly red, a dark red color. So, I’d like to ask, can a newborn’s lips turn red with jaundice?
Answer
If there are no other concerns, we can actively adjust and observe the baby’s symptoms. Actively treat the jaundice. Jaundice refers to the yellowing of the skin, eyes, and conjunctiva due to elevated bilirubin levels in the body. Bilirubin is a product of the aging and death of red blood cells. If bilirubin levels are too high, exceeding the liver’s ability to treat bilirubin, the liver cells’ ability to treat bilirubin decreases, and bilirubin cannot be excreted from the body, leading to jaundice. Neonatal jaundice is a disease characterized by yellowing of the skin, eyes, and urine after birth, known as fetal jaundice in traditional Chinese medicine.