Question
My baby is 19 days old, and the jaundice index is 5.9 at the head, 15.5 at the chest, and 6.6 at the feet. The doctor has recommended hospitalization. I want to know how serious it is and if I need to be admitted.
Answer
Newborn jaundice can be real or false. True jaundice refers to pathological jaundice, such as neonatal hemolytic disease, neonatal sepsis, neonatal hepatitis, congenital bile duct atresia, and so on. False jaundice specifically refers to physiological jaundice in infants, which does not require treatment. If jaundice is observed in the baby 24 hours after birth and can naturally disappear within 14 days without other symptoms, it is considered physiological jaundice.