The Facts
Jaundice is a symptom of many medical problems but most often is associated
with conditions of the liver or the gallbladder. Jaundice causes yellow
skin because of an excess amount of the bile pigment bilirubin in the
fat layer under the skin. Either the body is producing too much, or it's not
excreting it fast enough.
In addition to being caused by problems with the liver, jaundice can also occur
among newborns, particularly premature babies. Jaundice that occurs at the time
of birth generally disappears within days. In this case, the yellowing of the
skin is not due to liver or gallbladder disease. Instead, jaundice is caused
by the fact that fetuses have a different kind of red blood cell than adults.
They are just getting rid of these cells around the time of birth, which releases
a lot of bilirubin. Newborns also temporarily lack sufficient amounts of the
enzymes that break down bilirubin. With time, the liver cells mature and are
able to rid the body of excess bilirubin, and the jaundice disappears.