what causes jaundice in newborns

Jaundice in newborns is caused by a build-up of a chemical called bilirubin in the baby's blood and tissues. Bilirubin is a yellow substance produced when red blood cells are broken down. A newborn baby's liver is not fully developed, so it's less effective at processing the bilirubin and removing it from the blood, leading to jaundice. This condition, known as physiological jaundice, is very common and usually resolves by itself once the baby's liver is functioning at full speed. Other less common causes of jaundice in newborns include blood group differences between mother and baby, haemolytic anaemia, hepatitis, and galactosaemia