What causes baby jaundice?
The human body continuously makes new red blood cells and breaks down the old ones. Newborn babies are born with a higher than normal number of red blood cells; these are broken down and the waste product from this process is the pigment ‘bilirubin’ which is then removed from the body in the stools (poo) and urine. This is a job for the liver, but because even in mature babies the liver is still quite immature and in some babies, it cannot cope with the excess amount of red cells being broken down, the excess bilirubin is taken into the body’s fatty cells. As it can take a few days after the birth before the liver can cope effectively, the bilirubin levels can build-up resulting in nine out of ten babies becoming jaundiced. How can I tell if my baby has jaundice? A quick test that new mums can do at home to check for jaundice is: in a ‘naturally’ well-lit room, apply gentle pressure to your baby’s chest. If there is a yellow tinge to the skin as this pressure is released, contact your
