What it is
Jaundice is a yellow tint to the skin and the whites of the eyes. You may hear bilirubin, bili level, or yellow baby. Bilirubin is a waste product made when old red blood cells break down. A newborn has extra red cells to clear, and a liver that is still warming up. So the level rises for a few days before the body catches up.
About 6 in 10 full-term babies and 8 in 10 preterm babies get visible jaundice. Very high levels are rare but can harm the brain, which is why every newborn is checked. Checking is quick: a light meter on the skin or a heel-prick blood test.
Feeding matters. Bilirubin leaves the body in poop. A baby who is feeding well and pooping is clearing it.
What's typical
In a full-term baby, the yellow shows up on day two or three, peaks on day three to five, and fades by one to two weeks. Breastfed babies often stay faintly yellow longer, sometimes up to 12 weeks. That is called breast milk jaundice. It is harmless if the baby is feeding and growing.
The color starts in the face and moves down. Yellow on the face and chest is common. Yellow on the belly, legs, or palms is a reason to be seen. The usual treatment, if needed, is phototherapy: blue lights over a bassinet or a glowing blanket. Most babies need it for one to two days.
What's known
The AAP updated its jaundice guideline in 2022. It calls for a bilirubin check on every baby before going home and a follow-up visit within one to two days after. The level that calls for lights depends on the baby's age in hours, how early she was born, and risk factors like bruising or a blood type mismatch. Sunlight through a window is not a treatment; it is too weak and the baby gets cold. Feeding 8 to 12 times a day is what moves bilirubin out.
What helps
- Feed often, at least 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, and wake a sleepy baby to feed.
- Count diapers. Poop is how bilirubin leaves. Keep a tally on your phone.
- Look at the baby in daylight, not lamplight, and press gently on the skin to see the color underneath.
- Ask for a lactation visit if the baby is sleepy and feeds are short. Sleepy and yellow feed each other.
- If lights are ordered, ask whether they can be done at home with a bili blanket.
When to call someone
- Nowyellow in the first 24 hours of life, a baby who will not wake to feed, arching backward, a high-pitched cry, or yellow on the palms and soles.
- Todayyellow spreading to the belly or legs, fewer wet or dirty diapers than expected for the day, pale chalky poop, or a baby who seems sleepier each day.
- At your next visitstill faintly yellow at two to three weeks in a baby who is feeding and gaining.
Who helps
Tools: Feeding Prep · Birthworker Directory
Related
- Feeding a baby with jaundiceFeeding Your Baby
- Diaper counts and what newborn poop looks likeBaby Basics
- Newborn weight: the early drop and regainingBaby Basics
- Is my baby getting enough?Feeding Your Baby
- Pediatrician visits in the first weeksBaby Basics
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Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Clinical practice guideline: management of hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn 35 or more weeks of gestation (2022)
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org — Jaundice in newborns: parent FAQ
- Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine — Clinical protocol on breastfeeding and jaundice
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