Question
Why do newborns develop high jaundice?
Answer
High jaundice in newborns may be related to increased red blood cell count due to fetal hypoxia in the mother. After birth, as the body’s oxygen pressure rises, red blood cells are broken down, producing more bilirubin. Newborns’ liver function is not yet fully mature, with insufficient enzyme secretion, leading to incomplete metabolism of bilirubin and delayed bile excretion, thereby causing jaundice. Newborn jaundice is categorized into physiological and pathological jaundice. Physiological jaundice is caused by relatively high bilirubin production, insufficient uptake ability of liver cells for bilirubin, and defects in bilirubin excretion. It usually does not require special treatment, and newborns can recover to normal on their own.