Question
My child was born a week ago, and the recent check-up revealed that the bilirubin level is particularly high, and the eyes are also yellow. The baby is mostly drowsy. What should I do when a newborn has high jaundice and yellow eyes?
Answer
Newborn jaundice refers to the condition during the neonatal period where an abnormal metabolism of bilirubin leads to an elevated level of bilirubin in the blood, resulting in yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclerae, which is one of the most common clinical problems in newborns. The disease can be divided into two main categories: physiological and pathological. Physiological jaundice generally does not require special treatment, but if drowsiness occurs, one should be vigilant of the onset of pathological jaundice and consider blue light therapy to help reduce the jaundice.