They Called Her Mellow Yellow

Like many newborn babies, Abbey developed a case of jaundice. Jaundice refers to the yellow discoloration of the skin and the sclera (the whites of the eyes). The yellow color of the skin and eyes is a result of the breakdown of red blood cells. One of the waste products of red blood cells is a substance called bilirubin (not to be confused with Billy Reuben, the boy in my second grade class who, when showing off, shoved an entire birthday cupcake into his mouth and threw up all over his desk and the surrounding students around him. He subsequently did the same thing at Senior Prom, but instead of cupcake he used vodka. But I digress...). Normally bilirubin is broken down by the liver, but babies' livers are usually not mature enough to handle this much activity. Such was the case with Abbey. But, with frequent feedings her weight has gone up and her bilirubin level has gone down, thus making her yellow appearance diminish.




Before


After