Jaundice is an important problem in the first week of life. It is a cause of concern for the midwife and a source of anxiety for the parents. Jaundice is the most common morbidity in the neonatal period with nearly 60% of term newborn becoming visibly jaundiced in the first week of life. Preterm babies are at greater risk. While in most cases, it is benign and no intervention is required, approximately 5-10 % of newborns have clinically significant hyper-bilirubinemia mandating the use of phototherapy .
Neonates who are exclusively breastfeeding have a different pattern and degree of jaundice as compared to artificially fed babies. Because high bilirubin levels may be toxic to the developing central nervous system and may cause neurological impairment even in term newborns, it is important to know how to determine if a baby is significantly jaundiced, risk factors involved and when treatment is indicated.
Learning Objectives:
1) List the causes and types of neonatal jaundice
2) Explain the short and long term consequences of untreated hyperbilirubinemia
3) Describe how to assess for jaundice
4) Explain treatment options and follow up for the jaundiced newborn
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