senior lecturer,De Montfrot University and specialist practitioner in pubic health nursing
New guidelines have been developed by Clinical Excellence(NICE) to increase accuracy in detection and management of neonatal juandice,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 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 pratice implication for community practitioners to detect neonatal jaundice