Jaundice Summary Jaundice causes your skin and the whites of your eyes to turn yellow. Too much bilirubin causes jaundice. Bilirubin is a yellow chemical in hemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen in your red blood cells. As red blood cells break down, your body builds new cells to replace them. The old ones are processed by the liver. If the liver cannot handle the blood cells as they break down, bilirubin builds up in the body and your skin may look yellow. Many healthy babies have some jaundice during the first week of life. It usually goes away. However, jaundice can happen at any age and may be a sign of a problem. Jaundice can happen for many reasons, such as Blood diseases Genetic syndromes Liver diseases, such as hepatitis or cirrhosis Blockage of bile ducts Infections Medicines National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Encyclopedia ALP isoenzyme test Bili lights Biliary atresia Breast milk jaundice Crigler-Najjar syndrome Dubin-Johnson syndrome Exchange transfusion Gilbert disease Kernicterus Newborn jaundice – what to ask your doctor Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram Transient familial hyperbilirubinemia Find an Expert American Liver Foundation American Liver Foundation National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Array Bilirubin – blood Bilirubin – urine Exchange transfusion – slideshow Jaundice Jaundice causes Newborn jaundice Newborn jaundice – discharge Diagnosis and Tests Bilirubin Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Liver Panel American Association for Clinical Chemistry Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Hyperbilirubinemia National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Jaundice National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Kernicterus National Institutes of Health Start Here Facts about Jaundice and Kernicterus Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Infant Jaundice American Academy of Family Physicians Genetics Genetics Home Reference: benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: congenital bile acid synthesis defect type 2 National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Crigler-Najjar syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Dubin-Johnson syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Gilbert syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Rotor syndrome National Library of Medicine Specifics Gilbert’s Syndrome Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Health Check Tools Jaundice DSHI Systems Children Jaundice in Healthy Newborns Nemours Foundation Newborn Jaundice American Liver Foundation Journal Articles Jaundice
