Neonatal jaundice is a condition characterized by elevated bilirubin levels in the blood due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the body during the neonatal period (from delivery of the fetus with the umbilical cord ligated to 28 days after birth), which is divided into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice. Physiological jaundice in full-term infants appears 2 to 3 days after birth, peaks in 4 to 5 days, and subsides in 5 to 7 days, with no more than two weeks at the latest; in preterm infants, it lasts longer, and there are usually no other clinical symptoms except for a slight loss of appetite. If jaundice appears 24 hours after birth and does not subside for 2 to 3 weeks, or even continues to deepen and worsen, or reappears after subsiding, or if jaundice begins to appear only 2 weeks after birth, it is pathologic jaundice. What are the signs of pathological jaundice? 1, early pathological jaundice often appears within 24 hours after birth. If a newborn develops jaundice within a few hours after birth, usually the earliest parts of the body are the sclera and the face, then this is a red flag. 2, rapid progress from the face gradually spread to the trunk, limbs, if found that the newborn hands and feet heart are yellow color, more suggest that the blood bilirubin value of more than 12mg%. 3, slow fading often more than 2 weeks, premature babies more than 3 weeks. If the newborn is still jaundiced 2 weeks after birth, regardless of the serum bilirubin is indicative of an abnormal situation, parents had better take it to the hospital to do the necessary tests in order to find out the cause of jaundice. 4, poor condition The newborn is obviously not in a particularly good mental state, and sometimes has eyes staring in one direction, shrieking or twitching. Treatment Most of the current treatments for pathological jaundice in newborns are phototherapy. By using light, the bilirubin in the body is converted into other substances, so that the bilirubin that has been building up in the body can find another outlet, and the symptoms of jaundice can be improved. However, if the jaundice does not improve with light, the baby must be treated with medication or blood exchange. If the jaundice is due to biliary atresia, surgical treatment is required. Special reminder: Beware of bilirubin encephalopathy in newborns with excessive jaundice, and be sure to seek early treatment at the hospital.