Understanding, Caring, and Helping Your Baby Recover Gently
For many new parents, hearing that their newborn has jaundice can sound scary. The baby’s skin and eyes may look a little yellow, and it’s natural to feel worried. But in reality, newborn jaundice is very common and usually harmless when handled correctly.
Let’s walk through what it means, why it happens, and what you can do to help your baby recover safely and comfortably.
What Is Newborn Jaundice?
Jaundice is a yellowing of a baby’s skin and the whites of the eyes.
It happens because your baby’s blood contains an excess of bilirubin, a yellow pigment that is produced when red blood cells break down.
Normally, the liver helps remove bilirubin from the body, but newborns have immature livers, so this process takes a little longer—especially in the first few days after birth.
🍼 Did you know?
About 60–80% of newborns develop mild jaundice in the first week of life.
💛 Common Causes of Baby Jaundice
- Physiological jaundice – the most common type, caused by immature liver function. It usually appears on days 2–4 after birth and fades within 1–2 weeks.
- Breastfeeding jaundice – occurs if the baby isn’t feeding enough, leading to dehydration and slower bilirubin elimination.
- Breast milk jaundice – related to certain natural substances in breast milk that temporarily slow bilirubin breakdown. It’s not dangerous and often resolves on its own.
- Premature birth – preemies’ livers are less mature, so they’re more prone to jaundice.
🧸 What You Can Do at Home
Most cases of jaundice are mild and can be managed with simple, gentle care at home.
🌞 1. Offer natural light
Expose your baby to indirect sunlight for about 10–15 minutes, twice a day (avoid direct sun).
Natural light helps the skin process bilirubin more efficiently.
🍼 2. Feed frequently
Whether breastfeeding or formula feeding, feed your baby every 2–3 hours.
More feeding = more wet diapers = more bilirubin leaving the body through urine and stool.
🤱 3. Check for dehydration signs
Make sure your baby has enough wet diapers (at least 6–8 per day after the first week) and seems alert when awake.
💧 4. Keep baby warm and calm
A stable environment helps regulate metabolism and liver function. Avoid over-swaddling or overheating.
🏥 When to Call the Doctor
Always stay in touch with your pediatrician, especially if:
- Jaundice appears within the first 24 hours after birth
- The yellow color spreads to the legs or palms
- Your baby is very sleepy, refuses to feed, or has pale/gray stool
- Jaundice lasts longer than 2 weeks (in full-term babies)
Your doctor may order a simple bilirubin blood test or use a transcutaneous meter on the baby’s forehead to measure levels safely and painlessly.
If bilirubin levels are higher, the doctor might recommend phototherapy (light treatment)—a safe, non-invasive way to help your baby’s body clear the bilirubin faster.