Newborn jaundice is a pretty common and usually harmless condition that causes a baby’s skin and the whites of their eyes to turn yellow. This happens because of a build-up of a yellow substance called bilirubin in the baby’s blood. Bilirubin comes from the breakdown of red blood cells.
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Why does my baby get jaundice?
- Bilirubin and the baby’s liver:
- Newborns naturally produce more bilirubin because they have a lot of red blood cells breaking down in the first few days after birth. Normally, the liver processes bilirubin and sends it to the intestines, but in newborns, the liver is still maturing and can’t get rid of bilirubin fast enough. This causes bilirubin to build up in the blood, leading to jaundice.
- Physiological jaundice:
- This is the most common type of jaundice and usually shows up around the second or third day of life. It’s caused by the baby’s liver not being fully developed yet, which is totally normal. Most babies recover from this kind of jaundice without needing any special treatment.
Other causes of jaundice:
- Infections (bacterial or viral)
- Blood type incompatibility between mom and baby
- Internal bleeding
- Sepsis (a severe blood infection)
- Liver or bile duct problems
- Enzyme deficiencies or red blood cell issues
How common is jaundice in newborns?
Jaundice is super common in newborns. About 60% of full-term babies and 80% of premature babies get some level of jaundice. However, only about 5% of babies have levels of bilirubin that are high enough to require treatment.