Measuring the level of jaundice. Jaundice in newborn babies is seen as a yellow colouration of the skin and whites of the eyes.
Visible jaundice occurs in one third to one half of normal babies.
It usually doesn't cause problems. In the human body new blood is being made all the time and old blood is being destroyed. For the first few days after birth a baby's liver does not work as efficiently as it does later. So there tends to be a build-up of bilirubin in the blood. This causes the yellow colouration in the skin and whites of the eyes.