Jaundice is the first disease that most newborns face after birth, but due to lack of awareness, some parents are very nervous and others are too lax. So, let’s get to know it together. What is jaundice Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin, sclera and mucous membranes that can be observed with the naked eye. The cause is an increase in the level of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a chemical product in the body that, due to certain characteristics of the neonatal period, gradually rises and causes yellowing of the skin, sclera, and mucous membranes. Jaundice can occur in different races and skin colors, especially in our East Asian population. The proportion of jaundice in our newborns is about 50% in full-term infants and 80% in preterm infants. The damage of jaundice to newborns Mild jaundice is not harmful to most babies, it is a normal growth process. However, severe jaundice and the presence of some high-risk factors can be harmful to the baby, the most frightening being neurological damage caused by bilirubin in the brain. Breastfeeding and jaundice Because breastfeeding causes increased bilirubin reabsorption in newborns, jaundice is more pronounced in breastfed newborns than in artificially fed newborns. Most breastfed newborns have increased jaundice due to improper feeding, not the breast milk itself. Therefore, in such cases, we should first check whether the feeding method is appropriate. A good and correct feeding method and amount can promote increased peristalsis of the digestive tract, facilitate the excretion of bilirubin from the stool, and reduce the degree of jaundice. This is all the more reason to insist on breastfeeding and increase the frequency of breastfeeding to 8-12 times/day (i.e., once every 2-3 hours), trying to reach 30-60 ml of milk each time. Consult your pediatrician if feeding problems persist despite your efforts. Management of jaundice Most cases of mild jaundice do not require special treatment. To avoid a gradual increase in jaundice, the best prevention is adequate feeding to increase gastrointestinal motility and promote bilirubin excretion. Adequate feeding means 8-12 times/24 hours, 2-3 hours/time, 30-60 ml/time. Oral administration of plain water and glucose water does not help regress the jaundice, but rather causes a decrease in the amount of milk, which reduces bilirubin excretion and is detrimental to the regression of jaundice. Direct sunlight is also not effective in reducing jaundice because the amount of blue wavelength light in sunlight is limited, and it is difficult to expose a large area of skin to sunlight at home, and even if you do, it is easy to cause side effects such as UV burns and colds. Physiological and pathological jaundice Since bilirubin affects newborns of different gestational ages, birth weights, and ages, and the risk of harm varies, with high risk in the physiological range and low risk in the pathological range, it is no longer important to discuss whether jaundice is physiological or pathological. The impact of jaundice on the baby depends mainly on its degree and high-risk factors. If there are high-risk factors, if the jaundice worsens quickly, and if the degree is very high, timely intervention is needed, all of which require the doctor’s expertise and experience to make a comprehensive judgment. It is important not to make your own judgments at this time, but to consult your pediatrician as soon as possible, as your doctor will need to decide on the specifics.