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 Medical Encyclopedia
• Bili lights Medical Encyclopedia
• Biliary atresia Medical Encyclopedia
• Crigler-Najjar syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
• Dubin-Johnson syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
• Exchange transfusion Medical Encyclopedia
• Gilbert disease Medical Encyclopedia
• Jaundice and breastfeeding Medical Encyclopedia
• Kernicterus Medical Encyclopedia
• Newborn jaundice – what to ask your doctor Medical Encyclopedia
• Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram Medical Encyclopedia
• Transient familial hyperbilirubinemia Medical Encyclopedia

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

Patient Handouts

• Bilirubin – urine Medical Encyclopedia
• Bilirubin blood test Medical Encyclopedia
• Jaundice Medical Encyclopedia
• Jaundice causes Medical Encyclopedia
• Newborn jaundice Medical Encyclopedia
• Newborn jaundice – discharge Medical Encyclopedia

Diagnosis and Tests

• Bilirubin Blood Test National Library of Medicine
• Liver Function Tests National Library of Medicine

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Hyperbilirubinemia National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Jaundice National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Kernicterus National Institutes of Health

Genetics

• Crigler-Najjar syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
• Dubin-Johnson syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine

Treatments and Therapies

• Exchange transfusion – series — Procedure Medical Encyclopedia

Specifics

• Gilbert Syndrome Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Start Here

• Infant Jaundice American Academy of Family Physicians
• Jaundice Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Recognizing Jaundice: Signs That Your Liver Isn’t Delivering National Institutes of Health

Children

• Jaundice in Newborns Nemours Foundation
• Newborn Jaundice American Liver Foundation

Journal Articles

• Jaundice