Jaundice in Newborns

Overview

Jaundice is the yellowing of the skin and eyes. It results from having too much bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow substance made from the breakdown of red blood cells.

Many newborns develop jaundice. Jaundice in newborns is usually mild and goes away within one to two weeks. However, babies with jaundice need to be regularly seen by a doctor because severe jaundice can cause brain damage.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that every newborn be checked for jaundice before leaving the hospital and three to five days after birth.

1. Jaundice is a condition that can occur in newborns, usually within 2-3 days of birth.
2. Jaundice will develop when a baby's liver is not efficient enough to remove the bilirubin from the bloodstream.
3. The most common type of jaundice is called Physiologic Jaundice, which can affect up to 60% of full-term babies in the first week of life.

Symptoms and Causes

Jaundice usually occurs in newborns because their livers are not fully developed. It results from having too much bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow substance made from the breakdown of red blood cells.

Some other medical conditions that make newborn jaundice worse are:

• Baby's blood type does not match with his or her mother's blood type
  • Baby is born with too many red blood cells (polycythemia)
  • Baby has an infection in his or her blood (sepsis)
  • Baby has bruises from birth
  • Baby swallowed blood during birth
  • Baby's mother has diabetes

Jaundice can occur in babies of any gender, race, or ethnicity. However, certain risk factors increase a newborn's chance of having jaundice:

• Premature birth
  • East Asian or Mediterranean ethnicity
  • Sibling who had jaundice
  • Feeding difficulties
  • Breast-feeding

Jaundice often appears in newborns on the second or third day after birth. Newborn jaundice progresses in the following pattern of severity. Stage 1 is the least severe.

• Stage 1: jaundice in baby's face, especially the eyes
  • Stage 2: jaundice in baby's arms and chest
  • Stage 3: jaundice in baby's thighs
  • Stage 4: jaundice in baby's legs and palms of hands

If the newborn's jaundice is very severe and is not treated, it can cause permanent damage to a baby's brain. However, in most newborns, jaundice is temporary and causes no harm.

Jaundice usually is noticed in the first days of life. If the jaundice continues or increases for 2 weeks after the baby leaves the hospital, the baby must be seen again by a doctor.

Diagnosis and Tests

Newborn jaundice is diagnosed by a doctor examining the baby’s appearance and by blood tests.

Management and Treatment

The severity of the newborn's jaundice will determine if and what type of treatment is needed:

• Mild: If the baby has mild levels of jaundice, it usually goes away on its own. Plenty of fluids with frequent feedings can help make the jaundice go away. If poor breastfeeding is the cause of the jaundice, switching to formula temporarily may help.
• Moderate: If the baby has moderate levels of jaundice, a doctor may recommend phototherapy. During phototherapy, the baby is placed under a special light and wears goggles. The light helps the liver remove bilirubin in the baby's body.

• Severe: lf the baby has very severe jaundice and other treatments do not work, a doctor may recommend an exchange transfusion. In this treatment, the baby's blood is exchanged with donated blood to remove bilirubin from the blood. Only certain hospitals can perform exchange transfusions.

Prevention

In most cases, newborn jaundice normal and not preventable. However, adequate feeding and stimulating bowel movements can help avoid the condition.

Outlook/Prognosis

Jaundice in newborns is normal and usually goes away on its own. If it persists, more testing should be done.

Living with

Follow up visits to the baby’s physician are part of the regular health routine. During these visits the baby’s appearance and bilirubin levels will be checked to see if further attention is needed. If the jaundice lasts for more than 2 weeks the healthcare provider should be contacted immediately.

Questions to ask the doctor

• Will my baby need to be treated for the jaundice?
• How long should I expect the jaundice to last?
• How will I know when to call for a follow up visit?
• What can I do at home for the jaundice?

Support Groups

Support Groups Near You

Visit the American Liver Foundation Resource Center here to find the closest support group to you.

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Online Support Groups

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Medically Reviewed March 2025

Last updated on March 18th, 2025 at 04:28 pm