New guidelines have been developed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)1 to increase accuracy in detection and management of neonatal jaundice, and particularly to prevent kernicterus. Jaundice is one of the most common conditions in the newborn that requires medical care. Around 60% of term babies develop this in the first week of life, and for pre-term babies this rate is higher at 80%. In most cases, there is no fundamental problem - early jaundice is often called physiological jaundice and is usually harmless. Of breastfed babies, 10% can have physiological jaundice present at one month of age. While the mechanism for this 'breastmilk jaundice syndrome' is unknown, it is generally harmless.'
This article outlines the practice implications for community practitioners to detect neonatal jaundice.
Background
Neonatal jaundice refers to the discolouration of the skin and sclera resulting from an accumulation of bilirubin in the skin and mucosa. This is due to raised bilirubin in the body, known as hyperbilirubinaemia. Kernicterus is the pathological term to describe the yellow staining of the basal nuclei of the brain due to the acute and chronic effects of hyperbilirubinaemia - it is very rare but usually fatal. Associated morbidity, such as hearing loss and cerebral palsy, is very high.1
It has been custom and practice in the community to use visual inspection to assess the severity of neonatal jaundice, but research shows that this is not a reliable method of assessment and can lead to unnecessary serum bilirubin measurements being taken. Cases of kernicterus still occur with current practice, indicating a need for a more robust system to detect and manage jaundice in order to minimise the occurrence of kernicterus. Babies at risk of developing kernicterus will have the following risk factors:
* High bilirubin levels - greater than 340 micromoles per litre (micromol/1) in term babies
* Rapidly rising bilirubin levels - at more than 8.5 micromol/1 per hour.
Read more: http://www.readperiodicals.com/201008/2095751271.html#ixzz3Wd3eBswM
New guidelines have been developed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)1 to increase accuracy in detection and management of neonatal jaundice, and particularly to prevent kernicterus. Jaundice is one of the most common conditions in the newborn that requires medical care. Around 60% of term babies develop this in the first week of life, and for pre-term babies this rate is higher at 80%. In most cases, there is no fundamental problem - early jaundice is often called physiological jaundice and is usually harmless. Of breastfed babies, 10% can have physiological jaundice present at one month of age. While the mechanism for this 'breastmilk jaundice syndrome' is unknown, it is generally harmless.'This article outlines the practice implications for community practitioners to detect neonatal jaundice.BackgroundNeonatal jaundice refers to the discolouration of the skin and sclera resulting from an accumulation of bilirubin in the skin and mucosa. This is due to raised bilirubin in the body, known as hyperbilirubinaemia. Kernicterus is the pathological term to describe the yellow staining of the basal nuclei of the brain due to the acute and chronic effects of hyperbilirubinaemia - it is very rare but usually fatal. Associated morbidity, such as hearing loss and cerebral palsy, is very high.1It has been custom and practice in the community to use visual inspection to assess the severity of neonatal jaundice, but research shows that this is not a reliable method of assessment and can lead to unnecessary serum bilirubin measurements being taken. Cases of kernicterus still occur with current practice, indicating a need for a more robust system to detect and manage jaundice in order to minimise the occurrence of kernicterus. Babies at risk of developing kernicterus will have the following risk factors:* High bilirubin levels - greater than 340 micromoles per litre (micromol/1) in term babies* Rapidly rising bilirubin levels - at more than 8.5 micromol/1 per hour.Read more: http://www.readperiodicals.com/201008/2095751271.html#ixzz3Wd3eBswM
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