Jaundice is a yellow tint to a newborn's skin and the white part of the eyes. It is a sign that there's too much bilirubin in the baby's blood. The word for having too much bilirubin in the blood is hyperbilirubinemia (say hy-per-bil-ih-roo-bih-NEE-mee-uh). Jaundice usually appears in the first 5 days of life. Many babies have left the hospital by the time jaundice starts.