Bronze baby syndrome is the dark grey-brown pigmentation of skin, mucous membrane and urine following phototherapy. Hepatic dysfunction has to be there for this condition to be present. We report a neonate with dark brown pigmentation of skin. Lesions were spread over the abdomen (Fig. 1), chest, back and both upper and lower limb after receiving phototherapy for neonatal jaundice. It is assumed that abnormal accumulation of photoisomer of bilirubin is the cause of this condition. The second cause postulated is abnormal hepatic function leading to copper-porpyhrin complex which is photodestroyed leading to brown pigmentation. The third explanation is accumulation of biliverdin leading to pigmentation. It should be differentiated from grey baby syndrome exclusively seen in neonates and very young infants receiving high doses of chloramphenicol. The infant is cyanosed, acidotic, has cold peripheries and has the signs of all of marked hyponia, poor feeding, vomiting, loose stools and a distended abdomen.

Fig. 1 Brownish pigmentation seen over the abdomen.