Jaundice

Jaundice

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Treatment

Mild or moderate forms of jaundice usually will go away without specific treatment after five to seven days, as the baby's liver becomes more mature. In babies with higher levels of bilirubin, close monitoring and possible treatment is required.

Light therapy, also called phototherapy, which chemically breaks down the bilirubin in your baby's skin to non-toxic forms, is the usual treatment for jaundice. During this treatment, your baby is placed under special white or blue light for one to two days. Their eyes will be covered to protect them from the bright lights.

If phototherapy is not effective, and your baby's bilirubin levels continue to increase, a procedure known as an exchange transfusion, may be necessary. During an exchange transfusion, the infant's blood is gradually removed and replaced with donor blood. This procedure removes bilirubin and lowers the bilirubin to safer, non-toxic levels.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated May 8, 2007