Yellow Alert!

Yellow Alert is our campaign to promote the early identification of liver disease in newborn babies.

The information on this page is to help parents and health professionals ensure that symptoms are quickly identified so that babies can be treated as soon as possible.

Use this page to find out more about jaundice, stool colour and liver disease in babies.

Recognising jaundice in newborn babies

What should newborn poo and urine look like?

Resources and downloads

Parent stories

Signs of liver disease in babies

Biliary atresia is a rare and serious disease of the liver and bile ducts. It happens in newborn babies and needs to be treated as soon as possible.

The key signs of biliary atresia are:

jaundice which lasts beyond 2 weeks (or 3 weeks if the baby is pre-term)
pale stools (poo) and dark urine.

When a baby shows either of these symptoms, a health professional should be contacted immediately so that a split bilirubin blood test can be carried out.

About the liver

Introduction to liver disease

Find answers

FAQs

If your baby is showing any the symptoms of a childhood liver disease, you will naturally feel anxious. Here are the answers to the most common questions parents have.

I’ve been told my baby is feeding well, growing and looks well so the jaundice can’t be caused by liver disease. Is this true?

Sadly, no. This is a common mistake that people make. In the early stages of liver disease, a baby can look and seem well and can be feeding normally. They may even be feeding extremely well. The best way to make sure is to look at your baby’s stools and urine and have a split bilirubin test.

I keep saying that my baby is still jaundiced but nobody is listening. What should I do?

It is important that you feel able to talk to your doctor, midwife or health visitor about your concerns. We always encourage parents to follow their instincts and seek help if something doesn’t feel right. Ask for a second opinion if you are not happy.

My baby has prolonged jaundice. They’ve not been tested as I’ve been told the jaundice is due to breastfeeding. Is this right?

No. We know that parents are often reassured that the cause of prolonged jaundice is breast milk jaundice. But this is often done without testing. It is important that a diagnosis of breast milk jaundice is made after a split bilirubin test is carried out and not before.

I’ve been told that my baby needs to see a paediatrician. What happens now?

Your baby may be showing signs of a liver condition. Or the split bilirubin test may suggest there is a problem. Your baby will need to see a paediatrician (children’s doctor). This will usually be at your local hospital. They will do more tests to find out what is happening. If the tests suggest your baby has a liver condition, they may be referred to a specialist liver centre.

My baby has been referred to a specialist centre. Is there any help for me and my family?

Yes. This will be a worrying time, but the Children’s and Families team at Liver UK can provide information, advice and a listening ear.

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