This will vary according to the cause and severity of the jaundice. Babies who develop jaundice several days after birth usually just require careful monitoring, sometimes with heel prick blood tests checking for bilirubin levels in the blood. If these are high, the hospital staff may recommend a few days treatment with phototherapy. This technique uses ultraviolet light to help to break down excess amounts of bilirubin. If your baby requires phototherapy, he is placed naked in his cot, under a blue phototherapy lamp for two to three days. His eyes are covered for protection. Generally the treatment is well tolerated and there are minimal side effects — possibly a mild rash, and watery bowel motions for a few days. Because more fluid is lost during phototherapy, your baby may require extra feeds at this time.

More severe jaundice, in which bilirubin levels are very high, may require treatment with an exchange transfusion in which your baby’s own blood is replaced by compatible fresh blood but this is not common.

If your born baby has breastmilk jaundice, it does not mean that you should stop breastfeeding. Rather, discuss with your nurse or doctor the possibility of alternating between breast and infant formula feeds.

When to see your doctor

• if your child is unwell, feeding poorly and not gaining adequate weight;

• if your baby develops jaundice in the first 48 hours after birth;

• if the jaundice becomes more noticeable after a week;

• if the jaundice has not disappeared after two weeks.

Prevention

The only form of jaundice which is preventable is that due to Rh incompatibility. The mother is given an anti-D injection immediately after delivery and this prevents complications in subsequent pregnancies.

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