Question
What is the difference between neonatal jaundice and pathological jaundice?
Answer
Neonatal jaundice refers to a temporary condition in the neonatal period where elevated bilirubin levels in the blood are caused by abnormal bilirubin metabolism. Pathological neonatal jaundice, on the other hand, is a disease consisting of various causes, with the most common being hemolytic jaundice due to incompatibility between the mother’s and the fetus’s blood types. There are also infectious jaundices caused by viral or bacterial infections that damage liver cell function.