Newborn jaundice: Signs to Report and What Assessment Involves

Newborn jaundice causes yellowing of the skin or eyes as bilirubin builds up in the blood. Many babies develop it, but a new yellow appearance still needs assessment. The timing, bilirubin level and your baby’s overall condition determine what happens next.

Know when help cannot wait

Jaundice in the first 24 hours needs immediate hospital assessment. If you are still in hospital, tell staff straight away. At home, seek emergency care.

At any age, a jaundiced baby who is difficult to wake, is not feeding, has breathing difficulty, becomes floppy or stiff, has abnormal jerking movements or develops a high or unusually low temperature needs emergency help. Do not wait for a scheduled blood test or for the yellow colour to deepen.

Report yellowing after the first day

Contact your midwife or doctor urgently if you notice jaundice after 24 hours, or if diagnosed jaundice is worsening or not improving. Yellow colour may be easier to notice in the whites of the eyes or inside the mouth than on darker skin. Looking in good natural light can help you notice it, but appearance cannot measure its severity.

Dark urine that stains the diaper or pale, creamy or chalky stool also needs urgent assessment. Keep a sample or photograph of unusual stool if practical, without delaying help. Your diaper record can support the conversation.

Understand what the team checks

A professional may measure bilirubin using a device against the skin or a blood sample. The result is interpreted in relation to your baby’s age in hours, how early they were born and other clinical factors. Sometimes further blood or urine tests are needed to investigate a cause.

Ask when you should receive the result, whether another measurement is needed and whom to contact if feeding or behaviour changes. A result below a treatment threshold does not mean future changes should be ignored.

Feeding support and treatment have different roles

Continue the feeding plan and ask for help if feeds are difficult. Some babies need to be woken to feed; the team should explain how and when. The feeding cues guide is useful background, but a sleepy jaundiced baby may not give clear signals.

Some babies need phototherapy, which uses specially controlled light. More intensive treatment is occasionally necessary. Sunlight is not a treatment to try at home. Do not place your baby by a window or outdoors instead of attending assessment, and do not stop prescribed treatment because the skin looks less yellow.