Neonatal jaundice is categorized into physiological jaundice and pathological jaundice, and the pathological jaundice values of preterm infants and term infants are different; preterm infants with a jaundice value of more than or equal to 12mg/dl (221umol/L) are considered to be pathologically jaundiced, while term infants with a jaundice value of more than 15mg/dl (257umol/L) are considered to be abnormally, pathologically jaundiced.
Physiological jaundice of newborns appears 24 hours after birth, the jaundice value is less than 12mg/dl in preterm infants and less than 15mg/dl in term infants, and lasts for about 7-10 days and then subsides, and in preterm infants, it usually doesn’t last for more than 4 weeks, and the affected infants’ general condition is good, and there is no effect on breastfeeding and so on.
Pathological jaundice appears within 24h after birth, jaundice lasts for a long time, >2 weeks in term infants, >4 weeks in preterm infants, jaundice often recedes and recurs, daily serum bilirubin elevation >85μmol/L (5mg/dl), or serum total bilirubin value has reached the corresponding day age and the corresponding risk factors under the criteria of phototherapeutic intervention.
It is recommended to monitor the jaundice value daily after the birth of the newborn, observe the newborn’s response to breastfeeding, etc., and treat any abnormality promptly.