ABO incompatibility is one of the diseases which can cause jaundice. It happens when a mother's blood type is O, and her baby's blood type is A or B.
Jaundice is the medical word for yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes.
Jaundice is very common - over half of all babies have it.
At low or medium levels, jaundice does not cause problems. But bilirubin, the substance causing the jaundice, can be harmful at high levels. It can lead to deafness or brain damage. Babies with high levels need immediate treatment.
In most babies, jaundice is normal and natural and settles as the baby's organs mature and adjust after birth.
The medical term for this type of jaundice in newborns is physiological jaundice. This type of jaundice does not usually harm babies.
Some breastfed babies may stay jaundiced for longer than formula-fed babies. This is because of a normal and natural effect of breastmilk on babies. This type of jaundice is called breastmilk jaundice. It is not harmful.
There are many other reasons for jaundice and if you are concerned, you should talk to your midwife or your family doctor.
Each year in New Zealand, a small number of babies are born with liver disease which also causes jaundice. This is not normal and your doctor or midwife needs to see this.
Jaundice is likely to be normal if your baby:
As the bilirubin level gets higher, your baby:
If you are worried or have questions, ask your midwife or doctor to check your baby.
Normal (physiological) jaundice usually fades away after 1 or 2 weeks. Sometimes normal jaundice may last longer than this.
Depending on which of the following applies to your baby, check the matching section below:
Jaundice in the first 24 hours after birth is never normal and needs urgent medical attention. Contact your midwife or doctor straightaway.
If your baby is still jaundiced 2 weeks after birth, your doctor or midwife will need to check them. Your baby will need a blood test and may need to see a paediatrician (a doctor specialising in babies and children).
It is important not to miss any of the rare causes of jaundice that need special treatments. Biliary atresia [1] is one of these important conditions.
If your baby is jaundiced and has pale, white or light beige-coloured poo, take them to your family doctor. Your doctor can arrange an urgent appointment with a paediatrician.
See the 'Beware yellow' poster (PDF, 259KB) [2]. The poster is also available in Mandarin, (PDF, 1.22MB) [3]; Māori (PDF, 921KB) [4]; Samoan (PDF, 877KB) [5] and Tongan (PDF, 821KB) [6].
You should call your midwife or family doctor urgently if your baby is jaundiced and:
You should also talk to your midwife or doctor if your baby:
There are a number of conditions that increase the chance of your baby getting jaundiced. These include:
See more information about Rhesus disease [7], ABO incompatibility [8] and G6PD deficiency [9].
If your baby's skin is yellow, and the white parts of their eyes are yellow, then your baby is jaundiced. In most newborn babies jaundice is normal and natural.
A blood test gives more information about the level of jaundice.
Doctors will arrange a blood test if:
Your baby will not need any special treatment if they have normal (physiological) jaundice. You can treat mild jaundice in the first week by simply making sure that your baby has enough fluid and you can do this by breastfeeding. Breastfeeding gives your baby essential food and the right amount of water. Babies do not normally need extra water. Regular feeding to boost the supply of breastmilk is important.
If the bilirubin level is high, the most commonly used treatment is phototherapy (bright light therapy). It does not contain rays that would harm your baby. Phototherapy is very safe and effective and can only happen in hospital. See Phototherapy [10].
A small number of babies with severe jaundice may have liver disease. Your baby may need blood tests or to go to hospital for tests, especially if the jaundice does not go away by 2 weeks of age or your baby has pale poo or dark wee.
When babies receive the correct treatment, complications of jaundice are rare. Severe jaundice can lead to deafness or brain damage without diagnosis and quick treatment.
Points to remember about jaundice in newborn babies are:
The 'Beware yellow' poster (PDF, 259KB) [2] was developed by the Immune Deficiencies Foundation of New Zealand (IDFNZ) in conjunction with the Paediatric Gastroenterology Clinical Network Liver Workstream.
This page last reviewed 03 July 2020.
Email us [15] your feedback
Links
[1] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/biliary-atresia
[2] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/sites/kidshealth/files/pdfs/Beware%20Yellow%20poster_both%20Final.pdf
[3] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/sites/kidshealth/files/pdfs/beware_yellow_poster_mandarin.pdf
[4] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/sites/kidshealth/files/pdfs/beware_yellow_poster_maori.pdf
[5] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/sites/kidshealth/files/pdfs/beware_yellow_poster_samoan.pdf
[6] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/sites/kidshealth/files/pdfs/beware_yellow_poster_tongan.pdf
[7] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/rhesus-disease
[8] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/abo-incompatibility
[9] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/g6pd-deficiency
[10] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/phototherapy-treatment-jaundice
[11] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1504
[12] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/2060
[13] http://idfnz.org.nz/media/resources/files/2014/06/22/A3_Beware_Yellow_poster_1_1.pdf
[14] http://idfnz.org.nz/resources/liver-disease/
[15] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F52