Predicting Hyperbilirubinemia in Newborns

Predischarge bilirubin level plus gestational age were most predictive.

The 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guideline on hyperbilirubinemia in newborns recommends systematic assessment of risk for developing significant hyperbilirubinemia based on predischarge measurement of bilirubin level, assessment of clinical risk factors, or both. In a prospective study of 751 infants born after 35 weeks’ gestation, investigators compared the accuracy of each strategy alone and combined for predicting which infants will develop clinically significant hyperbilirubinemia (bilirubin level that exceeded or was within 1 mg/dL of the hour-specific phototherapy treatment threshold recommended by the AAP). Daily transcutaneous bilirubin levels were measured until discharge and once by a visiting nurse between day 3 and …

Reviewing Author

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)