Neonatal jaundice is a commonly occurring condition, with some degree of jaundice being noticed in up to 80% of otherwise healthy,
term and latepreterm newborns.
Generally,
the jaundice has a benign outcome when screened
for and treated in a timely manner.
An unpredictable number of newborns,
particularly those with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase(G6PD) deficiency,
can adversely progress with rapidity
to extreme hyperbilirubinemia with signs of acute bilirubin encephalopathy