Also called: Also called: Icterus
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
- Jaundice(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/jaundice.html
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Earlier Jaundice Treatment Decreases Brain Injury in Preemies
(10/29/2008, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nih.gov/news/health/oct2008/nichd-29.htm
- Bilirubin Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/bilirubin/test.html
- Jaundice(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/jaundice/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
- Gilbert's Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/gilberts-syndrome/DS00743/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hyperbilirubinemia(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Hyperbilirubinemia%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Jaundice(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Jaundice%22
- Kernicterus Research(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/kernicterus/ker_research.htm
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Evaluation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency without hemolysis in icteric newborns... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18817276&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Plasma superoxide radical in jaundiced patients and role of xanthine... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18794617&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Evolution of idiopathic fibrosing pancreatitis--MRI features. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18769009&tool=MedlinePlus
- Jaundice -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=jaundice[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Liver Foundation - http://www.liverfoundation.org/
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- Infant Jaundice(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/infant-jaundice/DS00107/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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Jaundice Alert(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF - http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/documents/kernicterus_fs.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/Spanish/kernicterus_fssp.pdf
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Jaundice and Your Baby(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/common/common/756.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/common/common/756.printerview.html
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Jaundice in Healthy Newborns(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/common/jaundice.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy/espanol/jaundice_esp.html
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Kernicterus - FAQs(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/kernicterus/kernicterus.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/Spanish/kernicterus/faqs.htm
- Liver Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/liverdiseases.html
- Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html
- Symptoms - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/symptoms.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Jaundice is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/