Question
The baby started showing a yellowish skin appearance about three days after birth, and by the sixth and seventh days, the jaundice condition worsened, with measured bilirubin levels of 11 for the head and 13.2 for the chest. The baby is now 17 days old. According to the normal regression time for physiological jaundice, it should have faded by now. However, the baby’s eyes and nose still show slight jaundice. How should this situation be assessed?
Answer
Neonatal jaundice typically begins to appear 2-3 days after birth, with the most prominent period being 4-5 days, and it naturally regresses within 7-14 days. This is due to the characteristics of bilirubin metabolism in newborns, leading to the accumulation of unbound bilirubin in the serum. Pathological jaundice is characterized by early onset, severe degree, prolonged duration, or recurrent attacks, with serum bilirubin concentrations exceeding