Jaundice

Jaundice is when your baby’s skin has a yellowish tinge, and is fairly common in newborn babies. It is caused by a breakdown of red blood cells, which creates an excess of a pigment called bilirubin. Newborn’s are unable to break down bilrubin until their livers are more mature at roughly one week old, which is why they may spend the first week of their lives looking slightly yellow. In most babies jaundice clears up by itself and needs no treatment, but some babies may need phototherapy. This involves your baby spending some time exposed to ultraviolet rays, which are not harmful, but will reduce the symptoms. Most hospitals have special equipment to deal with jaundiced babies, but you may also be told to go home and make sure your baby gets some natural light on his skin.

Less common causes of jaundice are hepatitis and biliary artresia, which is a rare condition in which the bile ducts don’t form properly. Simple blood tests can be done to test for jaundice, and to rule out anything else.

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