Will neonatal jaundice affect weight gain? Do neonatal jaundice require medication?

It is normal for newborns to suffer from jaundice, which is common in breastfed babies. Jaundice can be divided into physiological and pathological types. Pathological types require medical treatment. So we need to first understand whether neonatal jaundice will affect weight gain. Do newborns need to take medicine for jaundice?

Some neonatal jaundice will affect weight gain, while others will not. Why do we say this? Because jaundice is a symptom, not a disease. It depends on what the primary disease that causes jaundice is. If it is neonatal jaundice caused by infection, severe infection can cause poor feeding, poor response, and poor weight gain in newborns. At this time, jaundice caused by infection will affect the weight gain of newborns. Others, such as ABO hemolytic disease or jaundice caused by some hemorrhagic diseases, generally do not affect the weight gain of newborns. Therefore, whether jaundice affects the weight gain of newborns depends on the primary disease that causes jaundice. Some jaundice is caused by insufficient breast milk. In this case, insufficient breast milk will lead to poor weight gain of newborns. If you find that your baby's weight is always not growing and jaundice does not subside, you must take your baby to the hospital. Jaundice is divided into physiological and pathological. Generally, physiological jaundice will fade away by itself within half a month, but if the jaundice has not faded after half a month, mothers should pay attention. The baby is likely to have pathological jaundice and needs to be seen in the hospital. Cooperate with the doctor's treatment. Don't think that the baby is too young to send him to the hospital. Take medicine when necessary and take blue light when necessary. Jaundice not only affects the baby's weight but also affects the baby's brain development and increases the chance of meningitis.

To determine whether newborn jaundice requires medication, it is necessary to evaluate the specific situation of jaundice. The first is the situation where jaundice requires medication. If the jaundice index is very high, exceeding 10mg/dL, and the newborn's mental state is not good, and the feeding situation is very poor, this situation must be treated with medication in time. For example, liver enzyme inducers can be used. The main liver enzyme inducer is phenobarbital. Phenobarbital can promote the metabolism of bilirubin in newborns, thereby reducing the level of jaundice. The second is the situation where jaundice does not require medication. If the newborn's jaundice is physiological jaundice, the jaundice index is below 10mg/dL, and its mental state is relatively good, and feeding is normal, in this case, no medication is needed.

As we all know, treating neonatal jaundice through blue light irradiation is a very common method. This method is very effective and can relieve the symptoms of jaundice. It is also safe and less harmful to newborns. It basically does not cause any physical discomfort to newborns. The blue light exposure for newborns needs to be calculated by the hour, and each exposure to blue light has a certain duration. Under normal circumstances, each exposure to blue light is about 13 to 20 hours, and it will return to normal in 4 to 5 days. For babies with more serious diseases, the number of times will be extended to a certain extent, and it will take about 6 to 9 days.

There is no need to stop breastfeeding for neonatal jaundice. Neonatal jaundice is divided into two categories, one is physiological jaundice and the other is pathological jaundice. As long as the newborn does not have breast milk jaundice, there is no need to stop breastfeeding. After the newborn develops jaundice, he should go to the hospital for examination in time. Understand the specific situation and then take symptomatic treatment. After the newborn develops jaundice, if it is physiological jaundice, this situation is relatively easy to treat. If it is pathological jaundice, symptomatic treatment is needed at this time, and the primary disease must be actively removed to control the jaundice and avoid complications of jaundice.