Question
My baby is one week old, and the recent check-up revealed that her jaundice is very severe, and her eyes have also turned yellow. She is mostly in a drowsy state and hard to wake up. I want to ask, is severe jaundice in newborns’ eyes a concern?
Answer
Jaundice refers to a condition in the neonatal period where abnormal bilirubin metabolism leads to elevated bilirubin levels in the blood, resulting in a yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera as characteristic symptoms. Jaundice can be classified into physiological and pathological types. Physiological jaundice usually does not require special treatment, but if there is drowsiness and difficulty waking up, it is necessary to be vigilant about the possibility of pathological jaundice. Blue light therapy can be used for treatment.