What is the normal range of neonatal jaundice?

What is the normal range of neonatal jaundice? First of all, we need to understand what jaundice is. This is a common problem in young children. Newborns have very weak body resistance and there are many neonatal diseases. Many parents will be very worried, but worrying alone is not enough. We need to understand some knowledge about jaundice today.

Medically, jaundice that occurs in babies under one month old (within 28 days of birth) is called neonatal jaundice. The main symptoms are yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera. The child will have a loss of appetite, become restless, and his body temperature may also rise. Neonatal jaundice is a very common disease among newborns. Clinically, 60% of full-term babies will develop jaundice within one week after birth, and 80% of premature babies will develop jaundice within 24 hours after birth.

Neonatal jaundice is mainly a disease caused by the incomplete development of the liver function of the newborn, abnormal bilirubin metabolism, and increased bilirubin concentration in the blood. It can be specifically divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. So, how to distinguish physiological jaundice from pathological jaundice? What is the normal value of neonatal jaundice?

In full-term infants, jaundice will subside after 2 weeks and the skin should return to normal color. The normal bilirubin value should be less than 17.1umol/L. 17.1-34.2umol/L is latent jaundice, 34.2-171umol/L is mild jaundice, 171-342umol/L is moderate jaundice, and greater than 342 is severe jaundice. Jaundice still requires active treatment, and it is necessary to check what causes the jaundice.

The normal value of neonatal jaundice is based on serum bilirubin as a reference indicator. It is normal as long as it does not exceed 204μmol/L (12mg/dl) for full-term infants and 255μmol/L (15mg/dl) for premature infants. In addition, children with physiological jaundice do not experience much impact on their appetite and spirit except for yellowing of the skin, and the symptoms will generally disappear automatically within a month. Children with pathological jaundice not only have skin changes, but also usually cry, make a fuss, and refuse to drink milk. In this case, parents must take their children to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible, otherwise it may cause kernicterus, which has very serious consequences.

Due to the special physical constitution of young children and their inability to tell others when they are unwell, parents need to observe them more carefully, discover problems early and seek medical treatment earlier. Children's physical constitution is not as good as adults, and jaundice is a relatively common disease. Parents need to understand and discover it. Once discovered, take the child to see a doctor.