What is jaundice and what causes it?
Newborn infants, whether born around their due date (full-term) or early (pre-term or premature), often develop a yellowish discoloration of their skin called ‘jaundice’. Jaundice results from a build-up of bilirubin in the body. We become concerned about jaundice because bilirubin may increase to abnormally high levels that can injure the brain and cause permanent damage or hearing loss. Bilirubin results from the normal break down of red blood cells (RBCs) in the body. The build-up of bilirubin is usually a result of the liver, the organ responsible for clearing bilirubin, working inefficiently in the first few days to week(s) of life. Jaundice can also be caused by a difference or incompatibility between a mother’s RBCs and her infant’s. Less commonly, jaundice results from other problems with RBCs making them more fragile and more likely to be broken. Jaundice can also be associated with infections. What are the signs and symptoms of jaundice? Jaundice refers to the yellowish disco
