Jaundice and newborns

If you are anxious that your newborn is a bit yellow or the doctors cite Jaundice, do not stress out.
"Jaundice refers literally to the yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes of babies who have high bilirubin levels in their blood. Bilirubin is a yellow pigmented chemical that is released from red blood cells.
Newborns have a higher red blood cell mass than older babies. So as those red blood cells break down, they release the bilirubin and there is more bilirubin in the blood. Newborns also have an immature liver, and the bilirubin is processed in a complex manner, but it requires the liver. So the combination of the increased red blood cell mass and the immaturity of the liver means that more is being produced and less is being excreted.
Breastfeeding jaundice is the result of the fact that mothers who exclusively breastfeed their babies do typically have a little less volume of milk to offer in the first few days as their volume of milk supply is building. These babies are slightly dehydrated and they take in slightly fewer calories than a formula-fed baby.
Phototherapy:
The way that works is it takes advantage of the fact that the bilirubin makes its way out of the blood and into the baby's skin. When the skin is exposed to a particular wavelength of light that is in the blue range of the spectrum, it transforms the bilirubin into another chemical that is harmless and easier for the baby to excrete. The phototherapy tends to be only needed for a couple of days and babies usually go home without any long-term medical concerns.
the babies get cool shades protecting their eyes.
Getting jaundice is no biggie as most babies do get it. One thing that helps is exposing the baby to natural sunlight as much as possible in the first couple of days. Remember billirubin levels are looked at using an index which factors in the babies age and weight.

Credit: cnn/health