Wrap a piece of cold apple in a wet child-size washcloth, and let the infant mash on it to help his gums. True happiness is found in surrendering to Christ, and, by His grace, obeying His Ten Commandment law. A yellowing of the skin is seen in the infant, appearing first in the upper body and progressing downward toward the toes. In a pre-term infant, jaundice may appear later, but last longer. Jaundice is probably the most common disorder in newborn babies.
Old blood is broken down, by the liver, into bilirubin, a yellowish pigment.
But when too much is made, the excess is dumped into the bloodstream and is deposited in tissues for temporary storage. About a fifth of infants have this, to one extent or another. Peak levels of bilirubin do not occur until the tenth or fifteenth day, and may not return to normal for 12 weeks. But do not stop breast-feeding during this time. Certain drugs given to the mother during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and breast-feeding can lead to neonatal jaundice.