The Home Care Nurse Is Examining a 3-Day-Old Infant

The home care nurse is examining a 3-day-old infant. The child's skin on the sternum is yellow when blanched with a finger. The parents ask the nurse why jaundice occurs. What is the best response from the nurse?

A) "The liver of an infant is not fully mature, and doesn't conjugate the bilirubin for excretion."
B) "The infant received too many red blood cells after delivery because the cord was not clamped immediately."
C) "The yellow color of your baby's skin indicates that you are breastfeeding too often."
D) "This is an abnormal finding related to your baby's bowels not excreting bilirubin as they should."