Q: When should I call my baby’s doctor?
A: Call your baby’s doctor if:
- Your baby’s skin turns more yellow.
- Your baby’s abdomen, arms, or legs are yellow.
- The whites of your baby’s eyes are yellow.
- Your baby is jaundiced and is hard to wake, fussy, or not nursing or taking formula well.
Q: How is harmful jaundice prevented?
A: Most jaundice requires no treatment. When treatment is necessary, placing your baby under special lights while he or she is undressed will lower the bilirubin level. Depending on your baby’s bilirubin level, this can be done in the hospital or at home. Jaundice is treated at levels that are much lower than those at which brain damage is a concern. In some babies, supplementing breast milk with formula can also help to lower the bilirubin level and prevent the need for phototherapy. Treatment can prevent the harmful effects of jaundice.
Note: Exposing your baby to sunlight through a window might help lower the bilirubin level, but this will only work if the baby is undressed. Make sure the temperature in your home is comfortable and not too cold for your baby. Newborns should never be put in direct sunlight outside because they might get sunburned.
Q: When does jaundice go away?
A: In breastfed babies, it is common for jaundice to last 1 month or occasionally longer. In formula-fed babies, most jaundice goes away by 2 weeks. However, if your baby is jaundiced for more than 3 weeks, see your baby’s doctor.
Last Updated 6/19/2017
Source Jaundice and Your Newborn (© 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics, Updated 12/2016)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
