Variation in Transcutaneous Bilirubin Nomograms across Population  Groups

Some degree of jaundice appears in the first postnatal days in the majority of infants born at ≥35 weeks of gestation.1,2 Usually the jaundice is mild and self-limited and may even be beneficial. In unusual cases, the result of lack of equilibrium between the bilirubin production and elimination processes, the serum total bilirubin may continue to rise.3 If untreated, extreme hyperbilirubi nemia may lead to bilirubin neurotoxicity (kernicterus spectrum disorder). Not surprisingly, acute bilirubin encephalopathy, death, choreoathetotic cerebral palsy, sensorineural hearing loss, and other manifestations of bilirubin neurotoxicity still occur in developing countries with inadequate me dical resources, or in regions affected by the ravages of war.
Source: The Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Commentary Source Type: research