Question
Is high jaundice in newborns a sign of ‘up fire’?
Answer
This condition is both physiological and pathological, and it is not related to ‘up fire’. Newborn jaundice refers to the period in newborns when 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. This is one of the most common clinical issues encountered in newborns. Physiological jaundice is a temporary jaundice caused by bilirubin metabolism. It usually appears 2 to 3 days after birth, reaches its peak between 4 and 6 days, and subsides between 7 and 10 days. Premature infants may take longer to recover. Apart from mild loss of appetite, there are no other clinical symptoms.