Causes of Jaundice

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Causes of jaundice

The main causes of jaundice are:

Haemolytic anaemia

This type of anaemia is caused by the destruction of red blood cells and can also cause jaundice to occur. This type of anaemia is normally detected through a blood test.

Liver problems

The main reason why jaundice occurs is usually due to a disorder of the liver and the following are the most common conditions of the liver to cause jaundice:

Autoimmune hepatitis
Biliary atresia
Viral hepatitis

Malaria

Another very common reason that causes jaundice is malaria and this is due to the effect of the parasite on the liver. The liver is not able to function properly in people with malaria and this can cause jaundice symptoms.

Newborn babies

It is quite normal for healthy newborn babies to have develop jaundice after the first day of life, to within one week and it normally goes away afterwards. The main reasons for jaundice in a newborn baby are:

Breast feeding jaundice
Breast milk jaundice
New born (neonatal) jaundice

It is not normal for newborn babies to have jaundice within the first 24 hours of life, or after one week of birth - this signifies that there is some underlying disorder causing it. As hospitals in Australia check newborn babies bilirubin levels on the first day and after 2-3 days, any disorders are normally quickly detected so they can be appropriately treated.

Other disorders

A number of other disorders than the ones listed above can cause jaundice to occur:

Crigler-Najjar syndrome
Dubin-Johnson syndrome
Gilbert's syndrome
Lucey-Driscoll syndrome
Niemann-Pick disease
Q fever
Rotor's syndrome

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Last reviewed: 29 January 2009 || Last updated: 21 December 2009

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Immune system (glossary)
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.

Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.

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