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Newborn jaundice is a condition marked by high levels of bilirubin in the blood. The increased bilirubin cause the infant's skin and eyeballs to look yellow.
Bilirubin is a byproduct of the normal breakdown of red blood cells. The liver processes bilirubin so that it can be excreted by the body as waste. At birth, a baby's liver is still developing its ability to process bilirubin. Therefore, bilirubin levels are a little high at birth and jaundice is present to some degree in almost all newborns. This form of jaundice usually appears between day 2 and 5 and clears by 2 weeks. It usually causes no problems.
Breastfeeding jaundice is seen in 5 - 10% of newborns. This may occur when breast-fed babies do not take in enough breast milk and rarely requires treatment. Sometimes, however, breastfeeding does need to be interrupted and bottle-feeding substituted for a brief period of time to clear the jaundice.
Jaundice in a newborn is rarely caused by a serious illness. However, possible disorders that can cause jaundice in a baby include:
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