What is the normal range for bilirubin levels in a blood test?
Disease description:
My baby’s skin appears yellowish, and I suspect jaundice. Blood tests have been performed. Could you please tell me what the normal bilirubin level is?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Wang Liyan
The normal reference range for serum bilirubin—the primary laboratory indicator used to assess jaundice—is based on the concentration of serum bilirubin. In newborns, the normal bilirubin levels vary depending on postnatal age and whether the infant is preterm. Generally, physiological jaundice in healthy term newborns typically appears on days 2–4 after birth and peaks at a total serum bilirubin level no higher than 220.6 µmol/L (approximately 12.9 mg/dL), resolving spontaneously within two weeks. In contrast, preterm infants may exhibit prolonged jaundice, lasting up to 3–4 weeks, with normal peak bilirubin levels not exceeding 256.5 µmol/L (approximately 15 mg/dL). In adults, the normal upper limit for total serum bilirubin is widely accepted as <17.1 µmol/L. When serum bilirubin levels range between 17.1 and 34.2 µmol/L, this condition is termed “occult jaundice”—a state in which bilirubin is elevated but not visibly apparent on clinical examination.
