Pediatric Emergency Playbook

Most newborns will have some jaundice.  Most jaundice is benign. So, how can we sort through the various presentations and keep our newborns safe? Pathologic Jaundice When a baby is born with jaundice, it’s always bad.  This is pathologic jaundice, and it’s almost always caught before the baby goes home.  Think about ABO-incompatbility, G6PD deficiency, Crigler-Najjar, metabolic disturbances, and infections to name a few.  Newborns are typically screened and managed. Physiologic Jaundice Physiologic jaundice, on the other hand, is usually fine, until it’s not. All babies have some inclination to develop jaundice.  Their livers are immature.  They may get a little dehydrated, especially if mother’s milk is late to come in.  In today’s practice, we are challenged to catch those at risk for developing complications from rising bilirubin levels. Hyperbilirubinemia is the result of at least one of three processes: you make too much, you don’t process it enough, or you don’t get rid of it fast enough. Increased pro