Lauren E H Westenberg, Berthe A M van der Geest, Hester F Lingsma, Daan Nieboer, Henk Groen, Jolande Y Vis, Erwin Ista, Marten J Poley, Peter H Dijk, Eric A P Steegers, Irwin K M Reiss, Christian V Hulzebos, Jasper V Been
INTRODUCTION: Severe neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia can place a neonate at risk for acute bilirubin encephalopathy and kernicterus spectrum disorder. Early diagnosis is essential to prevent these deleterious sequelae. Currently, screening by visual inspection followed by laboratory-based bilirubin (LBB) quantification is used to identify hyperbilirubinaemia in neonates cared for at home in the Netherlands. However, the reliability of visual inspection is limited. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of universal transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) screening as compared with visual inspection to: (1) increase the detection of hyperbilirubinaemia necessitating treatment, and (2) reduce the need for heel pricks to quantify bilirubin levels...
November 17, 2022: BMJ Open