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Jaundice causes

Jaundice is a yellow color in the skin, mucous membranes, or eyes. The yellow color comes from bilirubin, a byproduct of your body processing old red blood cells. Jaundice is often a sign of a disease.

This article talks about the possible causes of jaundice in children and adults. Newborn jaundice occurs in very young infants.

Information

Jaundice is often a sign of a problem with the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas. Jaundice can occur when too much bilirubin builds up in the body. Blood tests will reveal an elevated bilirubin level in the blood. This may happen when:

  • There are too many red blood cells dying or breaking down (hemolysis) and going to the liver.
  • The liver is overloaded or damaged.
  • The bilirubin from the liver is not able to properly move into the digestive tract.

Conditions that can cause jaundice include:

  • Infections of the liver by a virus (hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and hepatitis E) or a parasite
  • Use of certain medicines (such as an overdose of acetaminophen) or reactions to other medicines or exposure to poisons (for example, poisonous mushrooms)
  • Birth defects or disorders present since birth that make it hard for the body to breakdown bilirubin (such as Gilbert syndrome, Dubin-Johnson syndrome, Rotor syndrome, or Crigler-Najjar syndrome)
  • Chronic liver disease such as advanced metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis
  • Gallstones or gallbladder disorders causing blockage of the bile duct
  • Blood disorders
  • Cancer of the pancreas
  • Bile buildup in the gallbladder because of pressure in the belly area during pregnancy (jaundice of pregnancy)
  • Cirrhosis of the liver

Alternative Names

Causes of jaundice; Cholestasis

Images

References

Cratchley AL, Rotimi O, Haugk B. Liver, biliary system and pancreas. In: Cross SS, ed. Underwood's Pathology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 16.

Lidofsky SD. Jaundice. In: Chung RT, Rubin DT, Wilcox CM, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 22.

Martin P. Approach to the patient with liver disease. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 132.

Pitt HA, Nakeeb A. Bile secretion and pathophysiology of biliary tract obstruction. In: Jarnagin WR, Allen PJ, Chapman WC, et al, eds. Blumgart's Surgery of the Liver, Biliary Tract and Pancreas.7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 8.

Review Date 7/22/2025

Updated by: Todd Eisner, MD, Private practice specializing in Gastroenterology in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida at Gastroenterology Consultants of Boca Raton. Affiliate Assistant Professor, Florida Atlantic University School of Medicine. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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