Health First - Jaundice

"Jaundice" is a common condition in newborn babies, occurring in about 60% of full term and 80% of premature infants. There are many factors, which contribute to jaundice in the newborn. The most common reason is decreased liver function which includes breast milk jaundice and physiologic jaundice which appears at a few days of age and generally fades by the end of the second week after birth, in term infants but may last longer in premature infants and babies of Asian and Greek descent.

Most of the time this goes away by itself as the baby's liver becomes more efficient. If treatment is required, then "phototherapy," or treatment with light is commenced in hospital. Exposure to cool blue light helps the liver break down bilirubin. To get phototherapy, the baby will be completely undressed, so that the light will shine on all of his skin. His eyes will be covered to protect them. A light stand will be positioned over his crib. Light therapy may last for two or three days. During that time, the baby can be normally fed, bathed and changed and returned to the phototherapy crib for sleeping. Ask the hospital staff if the baby's crib and the light stand can be in your room, so you can be close to the baby.

Mild jaundice may make the baby sleepy and not interested in feeding. This can make it harder to get started with breastfeeding. Remember that a baby with jaundice needs plenty of fluids to help his liver work better.

Sometimes a baby with jaundice may have a more serious condition and will need treatment. Your doctor will check a sample of the baby's blood for a substance called bilirubin. This comes from broken down blood cells and is normally cleared from the body by the liver. The amount of bilirubin in your baby's blood will help your doctor decide if the baby needs treatment or not. Other conditions which may cause jaundice include infection such as urinary tract infection, thyroid conditions, bowel obstruction such as that caused by cystic fibrosis, and polycythaemia, which is sometimes seen in babies of diabetic mothers and in growth retarded infants.

Article #4806