In plain words
Jaundice is the yellow color that shows up in a newborn's skin and eyes. It comes from , a substance made when old red blood cells break down. A newborn's liver is still learning to clear bilirubin, so it can build up. Jaundice is very common, and many babies have it in the first week. Care teams check for it at most newborn visits, often by looking at the skin or by using a skin meter or a blood test. Mild jaundice that appears after the first day is usually harmless. Yellow skin that appears in the first 24 hours, spreads down the body, or comes with poor feeding, sleepiness, or a high-pitched cry needs prompt medical care. Many families manage mild jaundice with frequent feeds and follow-up visits. Some babies need light therapy.
The deeper version
Neonatal reflects unconjugated bilirubin from heme catabolism. It is raised by hemolysis, polycythemia, , and immature hepatic conjugation through low UGT1A1 activity, and in breastfed infants by , with distinguished from inadequate intake. The AAP 2022 guideline (Kemper et al.) uses an hour-specific nomogram of total serum bilirubin, combined with gestational age and risk factors, to set thresholds for and exchange transfusion, and it treats jaundice in the first 24 hours as needing prompt evaluation. screening is widely used. The main controversy concerns phototherapy thresholds, the balance of harm from treatment against the risk of , and how to separate breast milk jaundice from feeding problems.
Where it comes up
- Newborn jaundiceBaby Basics
- Feeding a baby with jaundiceFeeding Your Baby
- Rh factor and RhoGAMPregnancy: Your Body
- Newborn weight: the early drop and regainingBaby Basics
What mothers here say about jaundice
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Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Clinical Practice Guideline Revision: Management of Hyperbilirubinemia in the Newborn Infant 35 or More Weeks of Gestation (Kemper et al.), Pediatrics, 2022