Hyperbilirubinemia

Hyperbilirubinemia is the most common condition requiring evaluation and treatment in newborns. The clinical manifestation of hyperbilirubinemia—jaundice—occurs in 60% of normal newborns and nearly all preterm infants. Compared with conditions that require advanced pharmacologic and technologic treatment strategies, hyperbilirubinemia seems to be overshadowed and may lose the attention it deserves as a condition that has potentially devastating effects. Nurses must be vigilant when caring for babies with “just jaundice” by monitoring bilirubin levels, identifying infants at risk for developing severe hyperbilirubinemia, and implementing prescribed treatment effectively when indicated.