A baby born at 18 days old still has a very yellow complexion and severe jaundice. To determine if a baby's jaundice has exceeded the normal range, it is necessary to first understand the number of normal jaundice values before making a comparison based on the baby's current condition. What is the normal jaundice value for an 18 day old baby?
Normal jaundice in 18 day old baby
The normal value of jaundice in full-term babies is different from that in premature babies. Usually, the normal value for jaundice in full-term newborns is 12.9 milligrams per 100 milliliters, which means that the bilirubin level in 100 milliliters of blood is below 12.9 milligrams. The normal value of jaundice in premature infants is 15 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, which means that the bilirubin level in 100 milliliters of blood is below 15 milligrams.
When the jaundice value of the baby exceeds 12.9mg/dl or the neonatal jaundice index rises too quickly (increasing by more than 5mh/dl per day), or the duration of jaundice disappears within 14 days for full-term infants, within 4 weeks for premature infants, or when jaundice disappears and reappears. It means that neonatal jaundice is unhealthy and may have pathological jaundice.
What are the symptoms of neonatal jaundice
1. For babies with mild physiological jaundice symptoms, jaundice first appears on the face and neck, and then can spread to the trunk and limbs, generally slightly yellow in color. The sclera may have mild yellow staining, but the palms and soles of the feet are not yellow. It will disappear after 2-3 days, and the skin color can return to normal by the 5th to 6th day; Severe jaundice can also spread throughout the body from head to foot, and vomit and cerebrospinal fluid can also be stained yellow for more than a week, especially in some premature infants who can last until the fourth week. The color of urine and feces is normal, and there is no bilirubin in the urine.
2. Babies with mild jaundice have light colors, while those with severe jaundice have darker colors, but their skin is rosy and yellow with a hint of redness.
3. Jaundice is more common in the face, neck, sclera, trunk, and proximal limbs, usually not exceeding the elbows and knees.
4. Newborns with physiological jaundice generally have good conditions, no anemia, no hepatosplenomegaly, normal liver function, and no occurrence of nuclear jaundice.
5. Physiological jaundice is more common in premature babies than in full-term babies, and can appear slightly delayed by 1-2 days. The degree of jaundice is more severe and subsides later, and can be delayed until 2-4 weeks.
6. Pathological jaundice often appears within 24 hours after birth and lasts for more than 2 weeks, with premature infants experiencing jaundice for more than 3 weeks; Jaundice disappears, reappears, and progressively worsens after birth. Severe jaundice can be combined with nuclear jaundice. In addition, due to different causes, there are often accompanying symptoms of the primary disease that causes jaundice.
If a newborn has jaundice, it is quite normal. Many babies will experience similar symptoms, so new mothers don't need to be so nervous. But for children's jaundice, sufficient attention should be given, corresponding treatment and care should be taken, and the jaundice of the baby should be removed as soon as possible, so that the baby's jaundice can disappear and the body can recover.
