Newborn jaundice is a condition marked by high levels of bilirubin in the blood. The increased bilirubin cause the infant's skin and whites of the eyes (sclera) to look yellow.
Alternative Names
Jaundice of the newborn; Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that's created in the body during the normal recycling of old red blood cells. The liver processes bilirubin in the blood so that it can be removed from the body in the stool.
Before birth, the placenta -- the organ that nourishes the developing baby -- removes the bilirubin from the infant so that it can be processed by the mother's liver. Immediately after birth, the baby's own liver begins to take over the job, but this can take time. Therefore, bilirubin levels in an infant are normally a little higher after birth.
High levels of bilirubin in the body can cause the skin to look yellow (which is called jaundice). Jaundice is present to some degree in most newborns. Such "physiological jaundice" usually appears between day 2 and 3, peaks between days 2 and 4, and clears by 2 weeks. Physiological jaundice usually causes no problems.
Breast milk jaundice is another common, usually non-harmful form of newborn jaundice. Breast milk may contain a substance that increases reuse of bilirubin in the intestines. Such jaundice appears in some healthy, breastfed babies after day 7 of life, and usually peaks during weeks 2 and 3. It may last at low levels for a month or more.
Breast milk jaundice (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Breast milk jaundice is persistently high levels of bilirubin in a newborn's blood caused by certain substances found in breast milk. Bilirubin is a yellow-colored fluid that forms when red blood cells break down. Reviewer: Deirdre OReilly, MD, MPH, Neonatologist, Division of Newborn Medicine, Childrens Hospital Boston and Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Review Provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 09/28/2007
Jaundice-associated conditions (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Jaundice-associated conditions are diseases or conditions that cause yellow skin (jaundice. Reviewer: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Frankford-Torresdale Hospital, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 05/03/2007
Crigler-Najjar syndrome (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Crigler-Najjar syndrome is an inherited disorder in which bilirubin (a substance made by the liver) cannot be changed into its water-soluble form, bilirubin glucuronide. This causes jaundice (yellow discoloration of skin and eyes) and organ malfunctions. Reviewer: Brian Kirmse, MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 08/11/2006
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