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Newborn care Start free

Skin and body · first 3 weeks

Newborn jaundice: normal or not?

Checked against current guidance on October 8, 2026. General information, not medical advice.

Illustration of a parent looking at a baby by a bright window.

The 10-second answer

  • Jaundice is common (about 6 in 10 newborns), usually from day 2-3. If you notice yellow skin or eyes, tell your midwife or doctor the same day: only a test shows the level.134
  • Yellow skin or eyes in the first 24 hours is not normal: call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department now.1234
  • It usually peaks around days 3-5 and fades within 2 weeks, or 3 weeks in premature babies.234
  • Yellow and very sleepy, floppy, not feeding, or no wet diapers: call your local emergency number now. Pale poop or dark urine: call your doctor today.13

General information from published guidance, not a diagnosis or medical advice for your baby. If you are worried, call your doctor, midwife or local health line, whatever this page says. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.

What is expected today

Choose by birthday

Guidance: call emergency services now

Is yellowing expected?
No
What to do
Any yellowing now needs urgent care: call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department.

Early jaundice can rise quickly and is checked with a blood or skin test.1234

Guidance: call your doctor today

Is yellowing expected?
Common, but get it checked
What to do
Tell your midwife or doctor today, as soon as you notice it (in the UK, ask for an urgent GP or midwife appointment, or call 111), so they can check the level with a skin or blood test. Feed 8-12 times a day.

Frequent feeds help clear bilirubin through poop. Most babies need no treatment.1234

Guidance: call your doctor today

Is yellowing expected?
Should be at or past its peak
What to do
If the yellow is new or spreading, tell your midwife or doctor the same day. Very sleepy or not feeding: call your local emergency number.

Call your doctor if the yellow is spreading to the tummy, arms or legs.13

Watch and log it

Is yellowing expected?
Fading
What to do
It should be getting lighter each day. If it isn't fading, is spreading, or you are only noticing it now, tell your midwife or doctor today (in the UK, ask for an urgent GP or midwife appointment, or call 111).

Breastfed babies sometimes stay a little yellow longer while otherwise thriving.134

Guidance: call your doctor today

Is yellowing expected?
Not usually
What to do
Call your doctor to arrange a check (after 3 weeks for premature babies). They will check it with a simple test.

Long-lasting jaundice is usually harmless, but a few causes need treatment early.134

How to check

  1. Step 1 of 4

    Use daylight

    Undress your baby and look in bright daylight near a window, or under bright white light.14

  2. Step 2 of 4

    Press and release

    Gently press a fingertip on the nose or forehead for a second. On jaundiced skin the pressed spot looks yellow before the color returns.34

  3. Step 3 of 4

    On darker skin

    Look at the whites of the eyes, the gums, and under the tongue or inside the cheeks.34

  4. Step 4 of 4

    Check how far it goes

    Jaundice spreads from the head downwards. Yellow reaching the tummy, arms or legs means a higher level: call your doctor today. Checking by eye can miss jaundice. If you are unsure, ask for a skin or blood test.124

Ella counts feeds and diapers, the first things a nurse asks about. Open Ella

Get medical help now if

  • any yellowing in the first 24 hours1234
  • your baby is very sleepy, floppy or hard to wake for feeds13
  • a high-pitched cry, arching of the back, or stiffness23
  • jaundice with a temperature of 38°C or more, or 36°C or lower3

Call your doctor or midwife today if

  • the yellow is spreading to the tummy, arms or legs1
  • your baby is feeding poorly or has fewer wet diapers13
  • poop is pale, white or chalky, or urine is dark yellow or brown34
  • your baby is still yellow after 2 weeks (3 weeks if premature)14

If your baby stops breathing, turns blue or grey, is floppy or cannot be woken, call your local emergency number now.

The details

Why newborns get jaundice

Bilirubin is a yellow substance made when red blood cells break down. A newborn's liver needs a few days to get good at clearing it, so it builds up for a while. Most jaundice is this normal, short-lived kind.

134

Feeding helps

Bilirubin leaves the body mostly in poop, so frequent feeds help. Aim for 8-12 feeds a day, wake a sleepy baby to feed, and don't give water or sugar water. If breastfeeding is hard, ask for help early.

1234

Treatment, if it is needed

If a test shows a high level, the usual treatment is phototherapy: your baby lies under a special blue light that helps break down bilirubin. It is safe and works well, often within a day or two.

13

Don't use sunlight

Putting a baby in sunlight is not a safe or reliable treatment for jaundice and can cause sunburn or overheating. Phototherapy uses a specific light under medical supervision.

14

Pale poop and dark urine

Jaundice with pale, white or chalky poop, or dark urine that stains the diaper, can be a sign of a liver problem. Call your doctor the same day. Our diaper guide has a poop color check.

34

Questions parents ask

How long does newborn jaundice last?

Usually 1-2 weeks. It can last up to 3 weeks in premature babies, and a little longer in some breastfed babies. Jaundice after 2 weeks (3 weeks if premature) should be checked by a doctor.134

Does breastfeeding cause jaundice?

Breastfed babies can stay slightly yellow for longer. This is usually harmless, and stopping breastfeeding is rarely needed. Talk to your doctor before changing anything.124

Is newborn jaundice dangerous?

Usually not. But very high bilirubin levels can damage the brain if left untreated, which is why jaundice in the first 24 hours, spreading yellow, or a very sleepy baby needs prompt testing.124

How do doctors test for jaundice?

With a painless light meter on the skin, or a small blood test from the heel.3

Ella

Feeds and diapers, counted for you

Nurses ask how often your baby feeds and how many diapers they have. Ella keeps both, from one tap on the widget, for everyone in the family.

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Sources

  1. AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Jaundice in newborns
  2. AAP clinical practice guideline: Management of hyperbilirubinemia in newborns 35 or more weeks (2022)
  3. NHS: Newborn jaundice
  4. NICE clinical guideline CG98: Jaundice in newborn babies under 28 days

Guidance can differ between countries. Where it does, we show both. Follow your own doctor or health service.

Checked against current guidance on October 8, 2026. General information, not medical advice. Written by the Ella team at Muchita AI from published guidance by the AAP, NHS, NICE, WHO and CDC, with AI-assisted drafting and translation checked against those sources by our team. These organisations have not reviewed or endorsed this page. General information, not a diagnosis or medical advice. If you are worried about your baby, trust your instinct and call a doctor.

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