Neonatal jaundice

It is essential to ensure that all newborns are routinely monitored for the development of jaundice and that serum bilirubin should be measured in those at risk:
• in all babies if jaundice appears on day 1
• in preterm babies (<35 weeks) if jaundice appears on day 2
• in all babies if palms and soles are yellow at any age
Term and preterm newborns with hyperbilirubinaemia should be treated with phototherapy or exchange transfusion guided by the following cut-off levels of serum hyperbilirubinaemia shown in the table.
Phototherapy should be stopped once serum bilirubin is 50 mmol/l (3 mg/dl) or below the phototherapy threshold