What is jaundice, and what caused it to appear in my baby?

Jaundice is a common condition occurring in newborn babies. It is a yellowish skin discoloration caused by a waste product in the body called bilirubin. Bilirubin is produced when certain proteins and red blood cells are destroyed, which is a normal process that happens early on after birth. Newborns are more likely to be jaundiced due to increased destruction of red blood cells and the body’s slow processing of bilirubin due to an immature functioning liver.