Jaundice is not a serious health concern for most infants, but in the early days of life every development is monitored closely. The condition often arises in the first few days of a baby's life. The baby's inability to remove bilirubin, a natural product created from the breakdown of red blood cells, from the body causes jaundice. Bilirubin is removed from the body by the liver, but a baby's liver does not always immediately start working to cleanse this from the system. Complications can be rare, but are serious and include brain damage, deafness or cerebral palsy.
Step 1
Look over the baby's body and eyes. Jaundiced babies will have a yellow tint develop in their skin and the whites of their eyes -- this is the most noticeable symptom of jaundice.
Step 2
Monitor your infant's energy levels and feeding habits. If you notice a dropoff in his feeding or find that the baby is sleeping much more than is expected -- particularly in combination with yellowed skin -- this could indicate jaundice.
Step 3
Have your doctor perform a blood test on your baby. This is often done as a standard procedure for the first 24 hours of life when the baby is in the hospital. However, jaundice that develops later may require you to bring the baby back in to the hospital. The blood test does not require the skin to be punctured and should be administered by a doctor, who can assess the results of the test to confirm jaundice.
Tips and Warnings
- Call your doctor if your baby fails to urinate over an eight-hour period, or if the jaundice fails to go away after 14 days. This could suggest complications with your baby's jaundice.
