Neonatal jaundice requires hospitalization for liver function tests, routine blood tests and MRI examination of the head. Neonatal jaundice includes physiologic jaundice and pathologic jaundice. Physiologic jaundice is generally not a cause for concern, but when bilirubin is too high, persists for too long, or recurs after receding, it is diagnosed as pathologic jaundice, and liver function tests are needed to determine whether liver damage exists. Increased bilirubin in newborns is often due to infection, and blood tests should be performed to determine if the infection is causing sepsis in the newborn. It may also be used to determine the presence of other diseases. Excessive bilirubin can lead to permanent damage to the central nervous system of the neonate, and bilirubin encephalopathy may occur; cranial MRI has important diagnostic value for bilirubin encephalopathy. When a newborn is jaundiced, he or she should be admitted to the hospital to determine the cause of the jaundice and follow the doctor’s instructions.