Neonatal hemolytic jaundice requires treatment for several days

  Neonatal hemolytic jaundice can be reduced to normal after about 7-10 days of active blue light treatment.  Hemolytic jaundice in newborns usually appears within 24 hours after birth and is progressively aggravated. The severity and rate of progression of jaundice is related to the specific cause of hemolysis, which may lead to acute bilirubin encephalopathy or even nuclear jaundice if not treated aggressively, requiring early treatment with active blue light irradiation, alkalinization of blood, gammaglobulin or even blood exchange. The most effective way to reduce bilirubin is phototherapy, which is given at the appropriate intensity according to the degree of jaundice in the child, for about 7-10 days, which can rapidly reduce bilirubin and avoid the effect of bilirubin on the child’s nervous system.  However, some children with jaundice will have recurrent episodes after the blue light irradiation has stopped and need to be treated again, and most children can recover after treatment.