Neonatal jaundice does not necessarily require hospitalization, because the characteristics of bilirubin metabolism in newborns can lead to physiological jaundice. This happens because newborns produce an excess of bilirubin and have inadequate plasma albumin to bind with bilirubin, coupled with relatively poor bilirubin-processing ability in liver cells and distinctive characteristics in their enterohepatic circulation. Consequently, physiological jaundice is common. Babies with physiological jaundice are generally in good condition without clinical symptoms. Typically, jaundice appears on the 2nd to 3rd day after birth; for full-term infants, it usually does not last more than two weeks, and for preterm infants, it generally does not exceed one month. Moreover, the daily increase in bilirubin is not high, and the total bilirubin is not extremely elevated. In such cases, continued observation is sufficient and hospitalization is not required. However, if it is non-physiological jaundice, or pathological jaundice, hospitalization might be needed. This is indicated by jaundice appearing within the first 24 hours after birth, extremely high total bilirubin levels, or very high levels of conjugated bilirubin. In such cases, it is advisable to visit a pediatric gastroenterology clinic or a neonatal clinic promptly to investigate the cause and possibly receive hospital treatment.