Question
What causes physiological neonatal jaundice?
Answer
The causes of neonatal jaundice include hemolytic disease, sickle cell anemia, and perinatal diseases. Jaundice may be caused by hyperbilirubinemia and bilirubin encephalopathy, which can also lead to anemia. During the neonatal period, jaundice can be categorized into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. In the fetal period, there is an excess of red blood cells, and after birth, due to the establishment of pulmonary circulation, an excess of red blood cells are broken down, increasing bilirubin production. Neonates have poor liver processing capacity, combined with the characteristics of the enterohepatic circulation, leading to the occurrence of physiological jaundice.