NEWBORN JAUNDICE

JAUNDICE IN NEWBORN 

Jaundice is a common and usually harmless condition in newborn babies that causes yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. The medical term for jaundice in babies is neonatal jaundice.

Other symptoms of newborn jaundice can include:

• yellowing of the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
• dark, yellow urine (a newborn baby's urine should be colourless)
• pale coloured stools (faeces) instead of yellow- or orange-coloured stools

Your baby will be checked for jaundice within 72 hours of being born, but you should keep an eye out for signs of the condition after you return home because it can sometimes take up to a week to appear.

When you are at home with your baby, you should look out for yellowing of their skin or the whites of their eyes. Gently pressing your fingers on the tip of their nose or on their forehead can make it easier for you to spot any yellowing.

You should also check your baby's urine and stools (faeces). Your baby may have jaundice if their urine is yellow (a newborn baby's urine should be colourless) or their stools are pale.

You should speak to your midwife, health visitor or GP as soon as possible if you think your baby may have jaundice. Tests will need to be carried out to determine whether any treatment will be necessary.

Examination

A visual examination of your baby will be carried out to look for signs of jaundice. Your baby will need to be undressed during this so their skin can be looked at under good, preferably natural, light.

Other things that may also be checked include:

• the whites of your baby’s eyes
• your baby’s gums
• the colour of your baby’s stools or urine

Bilirubin test

If it's thought that your baby may have jaundice, the level of bilirubin (the yellow substance produced when red blood cells are broken down) in your baby’s blood will need to be tested. This can be done using:

• a small device called a bilirubinometer, which beams light onto your baby’s skin. By analysing how the beams of light are reflected off the skin, or absorbed by the skin, the device calculates the level of bilirubin in the blood.
• a blood test of a sample of blood usually obtained by pricking your baby's heel with a needle. The level of bilirubin in the liquid part of the blood (the serum) is then measured.