Question

A newborn baby of seven days shows jaundice and has unstable sleep patterns, but does not cry and eats normally. How should it be handled? What are the special precautions to take?

Answer

For infants with severe jaundice symptoms, active treatment should be initiated. Routine treatment methods include phototherapy, supplemented by other symptomatic treatment measures. Delayed treatment may lead to bilirubin brain disease. The cause of jaundice may be hemolytic, but the exact cause needs to be determined in combination with relevant examination results. Mild jaundice may be limited to the face and neck or spread to the trunk, with the conjunctiva also showing yellowing, which usually begins to fade after 2 to 3 days and the skin color returns to normal by the 5th to 6th day; severe jaundice may affect the entire body, including vomit and cerebrospinal fluid, which may also appear yellowish, with a duration that may exceed one week.