Health & Baby

Tools & Resources

Font Size

Understanding Newborn Jaundice -- the Basics

What Is Newborn Jaundice?

Many newborn babies develop jaundice, a condition in which the skin and whites of the eyes are yellowish in color, within a few days after birth. In fact, about half of all newborns develop mild jaundice in the first few days. In premature babies, jaundice may start early and last longer than in full-term babies.

If bilirubin levels become extremely high, complications such as brain damage (kernicterus), cerebral palsy, and deafness can occur.

Recommended Related to Parenting - Baby (0-12 months)

10 Rules for Baby-Proofing Your Marriage

Most new parents know they will eventually have to cover their electrical sockets and take other steps to baby-proof their home, but what they may not know is that it can be equally important to baby-proof their marriage. In Babyproofing Your Marriage: How to Laugh More, Argue Less, and Communicate Better as Your Family Grows, authors Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O'Neill, and Julia Stone etch out a game plan for couples who want their marriage to stand the biggest, yet smallest, test of all -- a...

Read the 10 Rules for Baby-Proofing Your Marriage article > >

What Causes Newborn Jaundice?

Jaundice typically occurs because newborns normally produce increased levels of bilirubin which is referred to as "physiologic jaundice." Bilirubin, which is yellowish in color, is produced when red blood cells are broken down. Bilirubin is removed from the bloodstream by the liver. In newborns, the body may produce more bilirubin than the liver can process.

Physiologic jaundice usually appears within a few days after birth and resolves within two weeks. Other types of newborn jaundice can be due to prematurity, problems related to breastfeeding, infection, and blood or liver problems.

Since many mothers and babies leave the hospital soon after delivery, jaundice may not appear until babies are at home.

It is important to contact your doctor if you notice signs of jaundice in your baby and you may need to see the doctor that same day. While jaundice is usually very treatable, in the most extreme cases it can cause brain damage.

WebMD Medical Reference

View Article Sources Sources