If your newborn's skin or eyes look a little yellow, you're not alone. Jaundice is one of the most common things in the first week of life. About 6 in 10 full-term babies and 8 in 10 babies born early get some jaundice.
Most of the time it's harmless and goes away on its own. But a small number of babies need treatment, and it matters to spot them early. This page helps you tell the difference.
The short answer
Normal jaundice usually starts on day 2 or 3, is most yellow around day 3 to 5, and fades by about 2 weeks.
Jaundice in the first 24 hours of life is never normal. Get your baby checked the same day.
Feeding well is the best help. Breastfeed 8 to 12 times a day. Don't stop breastfeeding because of jaundice unless your doctor tells you to.
Sunlight is not a treatment. If jaundice needs treating, it's done with special lights in hospital (phototherapy).
Pale or white stools, or dark yellow urine, need a doctor soon, even if your baby seems well.
Why do newborns get jaundice?
Before birth, a baby has extra red blood cells. After birth, these break down, and that makes a yellow substance called bilirubin. A newborn's liver is still learning to clear it, so for a few days bilirubin builds up and shows as yellow skin and eyes.
This is called physiological jaundice, meaning it's a normal part of adjusting to life outside the womb.
How to check your baby at home
Check in good daylight, near a window. Tube lights and yellow bulbs can hide or fake yellowness.
Gently press your finger on your baby's nose or forehead for a second, then let go. If the skin looks yellow as the colour comes back, there's some jaundice.
Look at the whites of the eyes and the gums.
Jaundice spreads from the head down. If the yellow reaches the tummy, legs, palms or soles, get your baby checked.
This check helps you notice jaundice. It can't tell you how high the level is, especially in babies with darker skin. Only a blood test or a skin meter at the hospital can do that.
Why there's no single "normal" bilirubin level
Parents often ask what number is normal. The honest answer is that it depends on:
Your baby's age in hours. A level that's fine at 4 days old may need treatment at 1 day old.
How many weeks pregnant you were when your baby was born.
Risk factors, like blood group differences or infection.
Your doctor plots the bilirubin level on a chart made for your baby's age and risk. If you're given a number, ask where it sits on that chart, and when the next check should be.
Warning signs: see a doctor the same day
Jaundice that appears in the first 24 hours
Yellow reaching the legs, palms or soles
Your baby is very sleepy, hard to wake for feeds, or feeding poorly
Fewer wet nappies than expected (fewer than 6 a day after day 5)
Pale, white or clay-coloured stools, or dark yellow urine that stains the nappy
Jaundice that is still there after 2 weeks (or after 3 weeks in a baby born early)
Your baby has a fever or seems unwell to you
Pale stools can be a sign of a liver problem called biliary atresia. It's rare, but treatment works far better if it's done in the first weeks of life. Don't wait to see if it passes.
Go to the hospital straight away if your baby:
Has a high-pitched cry that sounds different from usual
Arches their neck or back backwards
Is floppy, or unusually stiff
Won't wake up properly, or won't feed at all
These can be signs that bilirubin is at a dangerous level. Very high bilirubin can affect the brain, which is why doctors take high levels seriously. With timely treatment, this is very rare.
Which babies need a closer watch?
Babies born before 38 weeks
When mother's blood group is O or Rh negative (a blood group difference with the baby can cause faster jaundice)
A brother or sister who needed phototherapy
Bruising or swelling on the head from delivery
Babies who aren't feeding well yet
G6PD deficiency, which is common in some Indian communities. Ask your doctor if it runs in your family. If your baby has it, keep naphthalene balls (mothballs) away from their clothes and bedding, and check with your doctor before any new medicine.
Babies who went home within 2 days of birth. Jaundice often peaks after discharge, so ask when your baby should be seen again. A check between day 3 and day 5 is often needed.
How is jaundice treated?
Most babies need no treatment. Good feeding helps the body pass bilirubin out in the stool and urine.
Phototherapy is used when the level is high for your baby's age. Your baby lies under a special blue light, with eyes covered. It's safe, it works well, and you can usually keep breastfeeding during it. Most babies need it for 1 to 2 days.
In very rare cases, when the level is dangerously high, a baby may need an exchange transfusion in a neonatal unit.
Things that don't help
Putting your baby in sunlight. It isn't strong or even enough to treat jaundice, and it can cause sunburn, overheating or chilling. It can also delay proper treatment. Normal daylight in the room is fine. Don't use the sun as treatment.
Giving water, glucose water or ghutti. These don't lower jaundice. They fill your baby's small stomach so they drink less milk, which can make jaundice worse.
Stopping breastfeeding. In almost all cases, keep going. Feed more often, not less.
Changes to the mother's diet. There's no need to avoid haldi, dal or any yellow foods. What the mother eats doesn't cause jaundice.
Questions parents often ask
Can breastfeeding cause jaundice?
In two ways, and neither is a reason to stop. In the first week, a baby who isn't getting enough milk yet can get more jaundiced. The fix is more frequent, effective feeds. Later, some healthy breastfed babies stay a little yellow for several weeks. This is usually harmless, but it still needs a check after 2 weeks to rule out other causes.
My baby is 3 weeks old and still a bit yellow. Is that normal?
It can be, especially in breastfed babies. But jaundice beyond 2 weeks (3 weeks if born early) should always be checked by a doctor, with a look at the stool colour and a blood test.
Can jaundice come back after phototherapy?
The level can rise a little after the lights are stopped. Your doctor may ask for a repeat test the next day to be sure.
Will jaundice affect my baby's eyes or brain later?
Normal jaundice doesn't. Problems only happen when very high levels aren't treated in time. That's why checks in the first week matter.
Does jaundice mean my baby has hepatitis?
No. Newborn jaundice is almost always the normal kind described here, not a liver infection.
Sources & clinical references
Kemper AR, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline Revision: Management of Hyperbilirubinemia in the Newborn Infant 35 or More Weeks of Gestation. American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics, 2022.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Jaundice in newborn babies under 28 days (CG98).
Indian Academy of Pediatrics. Parental Guideline: Neonatal Jaundice.