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Neonatal jaundice
Make it clearer
Newborn jaundice is that yellow tint you see in a baby's skin and in the whites of the eyes. The color comes from bilirubin, a pigment the body makes every time it turns over red blood cells, that is, whenever it clears out the old ones. Bilirubin is yellow, and when more of it builds up than there should be, you can see it from the outside, the way you'd notice a few drops of dye in a glass of clear water.
In the first few days, one common reason is that the baby's liver isn't yet processing and clearing that bilirubin at full efficiency: the organ works, but not yet at its full pace. That isn't the only possible cause of newborn jaundice. Most of the time the yellow is temporary and goes away; what does have to be taken seriously is that bilirubin at very high levels can injure the brain.
In brief
Neonatal jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and the eyes caused by a buildup of bilirubin, a pigment that forms as red blood cells are replaced.
A common cause in the first few days is that the liver does not yet process and remove bilirubin efficiently. This is not the only cause of neonatal jaundice.
The sequence is red blood cell turnover, bilirubin production, and liver processing. If production exceeds removal, the pigment builds up.
Most cases are temporary, but very high bilirubin levels can damage the brain.
Sources (2)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentWhat are some of the basics of infant health?Published
- National Library of MedicineNewborn jaundicePublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated