Jaundice in Newborn

For the majority of women, pregnancy is an uncomplicated and generally smooth process, other than the obvious pain and discomfort involved in delivering a baby. This is quickly forgotten, or at least temporarily placed to the back of the mind, when both parents finally get to meet their 'healthy' newborn for the very first time. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all. The harsh reality is that the unpredictability of the onset of labor will mean that many infants are left requiring transportation to more appropriate facilities It is currently estimated that one in 7 newborns, premature or term, will require admission to neonatal services. Gestation dependent, this can mean an extensive hospital admission for both baby and parents, with the possibility of complications, and the potential for challenges later in life. To place this into perspective, a neonate born at 23 weeks (17 weeks earlier than their term counterpart), should exp...

Bulevirtide (Hepcludex) monotherapy significantly reduces the load of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) and is safe in difficult-to-treat patients with compensated cirrhosis and clinically significant portal hypertension, according to the results of an ongoing 1-year study. In presenting a poster with these findings at the International Liver Congress (ILC) 2022, lead author Elisabetta Degasperi, MD, from the Grand Hospital Maggiore Policlinico in Milan, Italy, said that they were important "because they confirm the safety of this drug in real life." Degasperi and colleagues showed that bulevirtide leads to a significant viral response in 78% of patients by week 48, which was measured using the outcome of HDV RNA ≥ 2 log decline from baseline. Degasperi added that the research still needed to assess the longer-term benefits, but "so far the 1-year results clearly show an initial benefit that is not only a good viral response but also one o...

[embedded content] At Francine Sohn's home in Edgartown on Thursday, a small group gathered for The Support Ukrainian Newborns (SUN) Project's fundraiser, which brings "vital medical equipment to providers in Ukraine to help save newborns." In particular, the fundraiser was being done in response to a plea from T.K. Znamenskaya, president of the Ukrainian Neonatology Association, for 60 bili-huts and 60 bili-rulers, both of which are medical devices used for the treatment of jaundice in babies. The bili-hut (invented by Donna Brezinski) is a small, portable blue-light phototherapy device for jaundice, while bili-rulers (invented by Ann C.C. Lee) are used to detect the condition. "Thank you all for coming and giving up a beautiful beach day afternoon," Sohn, one of the fundraiser organizers, said to kick off the event.  "The Island community really pulled together," Linda Jeng, a fellow organizer, said.  Jeng continued...

Abstract To avoid brain damage in newborn infants, effective tools for prevention of excessive neonatal hyperbilirubinemia are needed. The objective of this study was to evaluate a new transcutaneous bilirubinometer (JAISY). For this purpose, 930 bilirubin measurements were performed in 141 newborn infants born near-term or at term (gestational age 35–41 weeks; postnatal age 1–6 days; 71 boys; including 29 infants with darker skin) and compared to those of a previously validated instrument (JM105). In each infant, the mean of three repeated measurements in the forehead was calculated for each instrument, followed by a similar measurement on the chest. The bilirubin values varied between 0 and 320 µmol/l (0–18.8 mg/dl). There was a high degree of agreement with significant correlations between bilirubin values measured with the two devices on the forehead (Pearson's r = 0.94, p  < 0.001) and the chest (r = 0.94, p  < 0.001). The corr...

BABYLON, NY — A New York State law that requires doctors to test newborns for an enzyme deficiency was recently put into effect — thanks to the efforts of one Long Island woman and her non-profit organization. NY State Senate Bill S4316, which went into effect on June 20, requires doctors to test newborns for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, or G6PDD, a genetic-disorder that affects the reproduction of red blood cells. Keely Harris, 62, of Babylon, founder of The g6pd Deficiency Foundation, told Patch how she's pushed for the mandatory screening after her grandson, Brody, was diagnosed with the deficiency. Find out what's happening in Babylon Village with free, real-time updates from Patch. "We were all blown away," she said. Two days after he was born, Brody's parents noticed that he became jaundiced. More than 60 percent of newborns have jaundice, and Brody received phototherapy, a treatment to lower his bilirubin or toxin levels. Find out what...

Abstract To avoid brain damage in newborn infants, effective tools for prevention of excessive neonatal hyperbilirubinemia are needed. The objective of this study was to evaluate a new transcutaneous bilirubinometer (JAISY). For this purpose, 930 bilirubin measurements were performed in 141 newborn infants born near-term or at term (gestational age 35–41 weeks; postnatal age 1–6 days; 71 boys; including 29 infants with darker skin) and compared to those of a previously validated instrument (JM105). In each infant, the mean of three repeated measurements in the forehead was calculated for each instrument, followed by a similar measurement on the chest. The bilirubin values varied between 0 and 320 µmol/l (0–18.8 mg/dl). There was a high degree of agreement with significant correlations between bilirubin values measured with the two devices on the forehead (Pearson's r = 0.94, p  < 0.001) and the chest (r = 0.94, p  < 0.001). The corr...