It's perfectly normal for all newborns to have jaundice a few days after birth. Parents don't have to panic after seeing their babies have yellow eyes and skin. This yellow discoloration is common in newborns.
Jaundice is due to an elevated level of yellowish pigment in the blood. This yellow pigment, known as bilirubin, is formed when the baby's body breaks down excess red blood cells. According to Dr. Radhakrishnan, this is typically seen on the baby’s second or third day of life and is called physiological jaundice.
Most often, physiologic jaundice does not require treatment and will improve on its own. Placing the baby under light, called phototherapy, is the most common treatment to lower bilirubin levels.
However, if the jaundice is noticeable on the first day of your baby’s life or it affects the chest or abdomen, it’s a sign their level of bilirubin may be higher than normal and the baby should be evaluated by their doctor.
The problem could be more than physiologic jaundice. It could be other issues such as blood group incompatibility, infection in the bloodstream, viral infections, abnormalities of certain enzymes or the red cell membrane.