During pregnancy of the mother, dampness and heat fumigate and steam the fetus, or cold and dampness block or accumulate in fetal meridians, resulting in neonatal jaundice. In mild cases, the disease cures spontaneously while in severe cases, pathogenic factors sink in pericardium and disturb mental activity, giving rise to coma, clonic convulsion, even death due to sudden depletion of yang qi.

According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, there are some patterns of syndrome that lead to neonatal jaundice.
1. Dampness and heat fumigating and steaming skin　
2. Stagnation of cold and dampness
3. Jaundice due to blood stasis
4. Jaundice stirring up the wind
5. Prostration due to jaundice