Jaundice refers to a condition in which a child has abnormally yellow skin tone and/or yellowing of the whites of the eyes.
Jaundice is caused by hyperbilirubinemia, which is an elevated level of bilirubin in the body. Bilirubin is a waste product created when old red blood cells die. While the baby is in the mother’s womb, the placenta will carry away waste products, including bilirubin, for the developing fetus. However, after the baby is born, his or her liver must begin to handle the breakdown of these wastes on its own. This process normally takes a week or so, and most babies lose their jaundice by the time they are 10 days old.
A continual increase in the level of bilirubin (and therefore the severity of the jaundice) may be an indicator of immature liver function. If the jaundice is persisting for a long time (two weeks), or if the level of bilirubin in the blood is extremely high, the doctor may recommend feeding changes and/or phototherapy.
Frequent breastfeeding is recommended for mothers of jaundiced babies, because more milk will often help improve the situation. In addition, the more stool the baby produces, the more bilirubin is excreted from the body.
Phototherapy refers to using light to help the body break down the bilirubin circulating in the baby’s blood. Ultraviolet light acts on the bilirubin and changes it into a more easily-handled form. Phototherapy may be done at home with sunlight or a home-delivered special UV lamp for mild cases. For more severe cases, hospital treatment under a special UV lamp may be called for.
Recommendations for Home Phototherapy (without a UV lamp)
- Place the baby in sunlight with nothing but the diaper on. You can do this next to the window indoors. Leave the baby in the light for 10-15 minutes 3-4x/day. If the day is cloudy, you may need to leave the baby in the light for 10-15 minutes 6-8x/day.
- Keep breastfeeding and formula feeding as usual.
- Return to the office if the yellow color is spreading downward or looking worse.
Revised 3.22.09