A yellowing of a newborn's skin and eyes, common in the first week of life and usually mild — but worth monitoring closely.
Neonatal jaundice — a yellowish tinge to a newborn's skin and eyes — happens because a newborn's liver is still maturing and hasn't yet caught up with processing a byproduct of red blood cell turnover called bilirubin. It's extremely common in the first week of life and usually mild, but it's monitored closely because a small number of cases need treatment to prevent bilirubin from reaching levels that could affect the baby.
Most cases are simply due to the normal immaturity of a newborn's liver function, which resolves as the liver matures over the first couple of weeks. Less commonly, jaundice can be caused by blood type incompatibility between mother and baby, or other underlying conditions, which is why worsening or early-onset jaundice is always assessed rather than assumed to be routine.
Mild jaundice often improves on its own with frequent feeding, which helps the baby's body clear bilirubin naturally. More significant jaundice is treated with phototherapy — a special light that helps break down bilirubin in the skin — under monitoring until levels return to a safe range.
Seek care immediately if: yellowing spreads to the arms and legs, or your baby feeds poorly or is unusually sleepy.
