Question
The newborn’s jaundice index is 5.9 in the head, 15.5 in the chest, and 6.6 in the feet, measured 19 days after birth. Is this kind of jaundice severe, and does it require hospitalization?
Answer
Newborn jaundice refers to the yellowing of the skin, eyes, and urine in newborns, also known as neonatal jaundice in traditional Chinese medicine. If jaundice appears within 24 hours after birth and does not disappear within 2 to 3 weeks, or even worsens, or recurs after fading, or appears within one week to several weeks after birth, these conditions are considered pathological jaundice. In newborn jaundice, there are true and false cases. True jaundice refers to pathological jaundice, which may include neonatal hemolytic disease, neonatal sepsis, neonatal hepatitis, congenital bile duct atresia, etc. False jaundice refers to physiological jaundice, which usually does not require treatment. Jaundice appearing after 24 hours of birth can naturally disappear within 14 days and does not have other symptoms, which is called physiological jaundice.