A new article published in BMC Paediatrics Open discussed that neonatal jaundice (NJ) is a physiological process, and occurs in many infants. However, it becomes pathological and imposes an increased risk of both short-term and long-term morbidities such as hospitalization expenses, risks of hearing loss and kernicterus, and even mortality in some cases. 

The authors reported that the associated challenges are acute in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the burden of the disease is greatest and medical facilities are least equipped to manage severe NJ. Healthcare system characteristics, reality of the national data registries, national budget priorities, reserved budget for health effect, rate of healthcare professionals to population and availability of an insurance system have a direct effect on the problem. In addition, risk factors vary significantly in LMICs owing to the heterogeneous ethnicity or race of populations; religion and cultural beliefs; and geographical and climate-related discrepancies.

This article summarized that abilities to increase awareness on the identification of the requirements and willingness to improve management of the health system can aid in preventing the rate of complications of severe NJ, as well as NJ-related neurological damage and mortality of newborns. The first step in the prevention of NJ is the identification of predisposing factors. Unknown factors in the etiology of severe hyperbiliburinaemia, which points either lack of application to the health service or availability of laboratory evaluations.

Source: BMC Paediatrics Open. 2020 Nov;4(1): e000845. doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2020-000845