Jaundice in Newborns
Jaundice in Newborns
Jaundice (yellow skin color) happens in half to three-quarters of all newborns, typically appearing in the first few days of life, when a chemical called bilirubin can build up in a baby's blood and cause the skin to look yellow.
You should always contact your doctor if your baby has jaundice. This guide will help you understand jaundice in newborns and what your baby's doctor will want to do if your baby looks jaundiced.
This guide should not be used if your baby was born more than five weeks before he or she was expected, because premature babies (less than 35 weeks gestation) have different needs.
Jaundice usually is noticed first on the face, in the whites of a baby's eyes, and then on the rest of the body. The best way to notice the yellow color is in good light, such as daylight or fluorescent light, but it always is more difficult to see jaundice in infants with darker skin color.
Does your newborn have jaundice?
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