Question
My baby is five days old and the hospital checked for neonatal jaundice, with a value of 13. They suggested hospitalization. Should this value warrant hospitalization?
Answer
There are many causes of jaundice. First, if the baby develops jaundice within 2-3 days after birth, it can be quite high on the fifth day, and it usually diminishes gradually between 7-10 days. This falls under physiological jaundice and does not require hospitalization. If a baby shows a high bilirubin index on the fifth day after birth, one can opt for treatment by drinking warm water, which is effective. Alternatively, one can choose to expose the baby to sunlight appropriately to effectively boost the immune system and reduce the bilirubin index.