Baby care

Newborn jaundice: the yellow that usually means nothing

4 min read · MyBloomingBelly editorial

More than half of all newborns — and most premature babies — develop some yellowing of the skin and eyes in the first week. It happens because babies are born with extra red blood cells, and breaking them down releases bilirubin, a yellow pigment their brand-new liver clears slowly at first. In most babies it is a passing traffic jam, not a disease.

The usual pattern: appears on day 2–3, peaks around day 3–5, fades over one to two weeks (a little longer in breastfed babies, which is normal). Check in good daylight: press gently on baby’s nose or chest for a second — the skin blanches, and you can see if the underlying tone is yellow. Yellowing that stays limited to the face and chest in an otherwise feeding, waking, pooping baby is typically the harmless kind — and your doctor will still glance at it at the routine early check-ups, which is exactly how it should be monitored.