Question
My newborn baby has jaundice with a level of 18.5. I want to know, is this situation severe?
Answer
Under normal circumstances, a neonatal jaundice level of 18 exceeds the physiological jaundice standard of 5mg/dl and requires treatment. The severity depends on the specific situation: 1. For normal full-term infants, if bilirubin reaches 18.5mg/dl within 3 days after birth, active phototherapy is needed, and timely follow-up is required; the condition is not severe; 2. If it is a premature infant, within 1 day after birth, or for full-term infants, within 3 days after birth, the jaundice condition is relatively severe and may lead to bilirubin encephalopathy, causing long-term effects on the child, and requires active treatment.