Questions

My newborn’s jaundice has not subsided after 13 days. Does it require medication treatment? Generally, how long does jaundice take to naturally fade?

Answers

The treatment of newborn jaundice should be based on the baby’s gestational age, postnatal age, and birth weight, as well as the presence of any high-risk factors, such as newborn hemolytic disease or asphyxia. Treatment recommendations can be found in Tables 1 and 2, and the following precautions should be noted:

  1. It is important to first assess for high-risk factors, and treatment should be initiated early if any are present.
  2. If jaundice appears within the first 24 hours of birth, actively seek the cause and provide phototherapy.
  3. If jaundice appears between 24 to 72 hours after birth before discharge, at least one serum bilirubin test should be performed before discharge, and a follow-up should be done at the community or hospital within 48 hours after discharge.
  4. For those who are close to but do not meet the treatment standards within the first 7 days (especially within the first 3 days) of birth, close monitoring of bilirubin levels should be conducted.
  5. “Consider phototherapy” means that based on the serum bilirubin level at that age, phototherapy or strict monitoring of bilirubin should be chosen after weighing the benefits and risks based on medical history, course of disease, and physical examination results.
  6. “Phototherapy failure” refers to the situation where there is no downward trend in bilirubin levels 4 to 6 hours after phototherapy.