Diseases & Conditions

Infant jaundice

Infant jaundice is a yellow discoloration in a newborn baby's skin and eyes. The condition occurs because the baby's blood contains an excess of bilirubin (bil-ih-ROO-bin), a yellow-colored pigment of red blood cells.

Infant jaundice is a common condition, particularly in babies born before 36 weeks gestation (preterm babies). Infant jaundice usually occurs because a baby's liver isn't mature enough to get rid of bilirubin in the bloodstream. In some cases, an underlying disease may cause jaundice.

Treatment of infant jaundice often isn't necessary, and most cases that need treatment respond well to noninvasive therapy. Although complications are rare, severe infant jaundice or poorly treated jaundice can cause brain damage.

Your doctor will likely diagnose infant jaundice on the basis of your baby's appearance. However, it's not possible to judge the severity of jaundice based on appearance alone. Your doctor will need to measure the level of bilirubin in your baby's blood. The level of bilirubin, or severity of jaundice, will determine the course of treatment.

The tests for bilirubin levels include:

• A laboratory test of a sample of your baby's blood
• A skin test with a device called a transcutaneous bilirubinometer, which measures the reflection of a special light shone through the skin

Your doctor may order additional blood tests or urine tests if there's evidence that your baby's jaundice is caused by an underlying disorder that needs to be treated.