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Jaundice
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What is jaundice? With jaundice a baby's skin and whites of the eyes are a yellow color. There are several reasons why jaundice occurs. What is the cause? The most common reason for jaundice is that the baby's liver is not mature enough to remove all of a yellow pigment called bilirubin from the baby's body. This type of jaundice occurs in about half of all newborns and starts when the baby is 2 or 3 days old. It typically goes away on its own by the time the baby is 2 weeks old. Jaundice from breast-feeding occurs when the baby doesn't get enough breast milk. Babies with breast-milk jaundice need to be breast-fed more frequently. Try every 1 and 1/2 to 2 and 1/2 hours. This helps to lower the bilirubin. If your baby sleeps more than 4 hours during the night, wake him for a feeding. Jaundice can also be caused by a special substance that some women produce in their milk. This is rare and not harmful. It starts when the baby is 4 to 7 days old and may last 3 to 10 weeks. The benefits of breast-feeding still far outweigh the risk of jaundice. How is it treated? The most serious type of jaundice is caused by the baby and mother having different blood types. This type of jaundice occurs in the first 24 hours after birth. In this case, the mother produces antibodies that destroy the baby's red blood cells causing the bilirubin to build up. This kind of jaundice can be prevented if the mother has a shot of RhoGAM during the pregnancy or within 3 days after delivery. Another possible treatment is light therapy, also called phototherapy. A special ultraviolet light or a fiber-optic blanket of light is placed under the baby or wrapped around the baby. It can be used in the hospital or at home. The light helps to alter the form of the bilirubin so that the body can more easily get rid of it. For babies with moderate or severe jaundice caused by blood differences, an intravenous medicine may be given to decrease the jaundice. A blood transfusion is rare and only used in extreme cases when the jaundice does not respond to any of the other form of treatment. How do I check my baby for jaundice? Since most newborns leave the hospital within 24 to 48 hours, it is important to check your baby for jaundice after you go home. To check for jaundice press on your baby's nose or forehead looking for a yellowish color. Also look at your baby in the natural daylight by a window. You will be able to notice if your baby looks yellow. Call your health care provider right away if the baby looks deep yellow, has a fever, has become listless, or is not feeding well.  Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new health information becomes available. The
information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a
replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or
treatment by a healthcare professional.
HIA File CHL3731F.HTM Release 9.0/2006. Copyright © 2006 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subdiaries. All Rights Reserved.
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