A baby with jaundice has skin that looks yellow. It starts on the face, then the chest and stomach, and then the legs. The whites of a baby's eyes also look yellow. Babies with very high bilirubin levels may be sleepy, fussy, floppy, or have trouble feeding. Jaundice may be hard to see, especially in babies with dark skin. If you're unsure, gently press the skin on your baby's nose or forehead. If it's jaundice, the skin will appear yellow when you lift your finger.
Most healthy newborns have physiological "normal" jaundice. This happens because newborns have more blood cells than adults do.
These blood cells don't live as long, so more bilirubin is made when they break down. This kind of jaundice appears 2—4 days after the baby is born and goes away by the time a baby is 2 weeks old.
Doctors can tell if a baby has jaundice based on a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. All newborns are checked for jaundice before leaving the hospital or birth center. Babies with jaundice will get a blood test to check bilirubin levels. Sometimes, a light machine that measures bilirubin in the skin is used. If your baby develops signs of jaundice after this time, speak to your midwife, health visitor or a GP as soon as possible for advice.
While jaundice is not usually a cause for concern, it's important to determine whether your baby needs treatment. If you're monitoring your baby's jaundice at home, it's also important to contact your midwife straight away if your baby's symptoms quickly get worse or they become very reluctant to feed. Find out more about diagnosing jaundice in babies. Jaundice is caused by the build-up of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow substance produced when red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body, are broken down.
Jaundice is common in newborn babies because babies have a high number of red blood cells in their blood, which are broken down and replaced frequently. Also, a newborn baby's liver is not fully developed, so it's less effective at removing the bilirubin from the blood.
This is a kind of brain damage caused by high bilirubin levels. If untreated, kernicterus can cause:. The American Academy of Pediatrics AAP recommends that all babies be checked for jaundice after birth while in the hospital.
The AAP recommends that babies be checked for jaundice again at 3 to 5 days of age. This is the time when bilirubin levels are the highest. If your baby leaves the hospital before 72 hours 3 days of age, she should be checked within the next 2 days. If your baby has mild jaundice, her provider may recommend that you breastfeed your baby more often so that she has more bowel movements.
This helps to get rid of bilirubin. Jaundice usually clears up within 2 weeks in formula-fed babies. It may last for more than 2 to 3 weeks in breastfed babies. See also: Premature babies. Get expert tips and resources from March of Dimes and CDC to increase your chance of having a healthy, fully-term pregnancy and baby. March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. We support research, lead programs and provide education and advocacy so that every family can have the best possible start.
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