Newborn jaundice

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Erythroblastosis fetalis, photomicrograph

Jaundice infant

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In the most severe cases of jaundice, an exchange transfusion is required. In this procedure, the baby's blood is replaced with fresh blood. Treating severely jaundiced babies with intravenous immunoglobulin may also be very effective at reducing bilirubin levels.

Usually newborn jaundice is not harmful. For most babies, jaundice usually gets better without treatment within 1 to 2 weeks.

Very high levels of bilirubin can damage the brain. This is called kernicterus. However, the condition is almost always diagnosed before levels become high enough to cause this damage.

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For babies who need treatment, the treatment is usually effective.

Rare, but serious, complications from high bilirubin levels include:

• Cerebral palsy
• Deafness
• Kernicterus -- brain damage from very high bilirubin levels

All babies should be seen by a health care provider in the first 5 days of life to check for jaundice.

• Those who spend less than 24 hours in a hospital should be seen by age 72 hours.
• Infants sent home between 24 and 48 hours should be seen again by age 96 hours.
• Infants sent home between 48 and 72 hours should be seen again by age 120 hours.

Jaundice is an emergency if the baby has a fever, has become listless, or is not feeding well. Jaundice may be dangerous in high-risk newborns.

Jaundice is generally NOT dangerous in term, otherwise healthy newborns. Call the infant's health care provider if:

• Jaundice is severe (the skin is bright yellow)
• Jaundice continues to increase after the newborn visit, lasts longer than 2 weeks, or other symptoms develop
• The feet, especially the soles, are yellow

Review Date: 11/12/2010
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).