Incidence and causes of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Canada

Abstract

Severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia continues to occur frequently in Canada. In the majority of cases, the underlying cause was not identified. The high readmission rate within days after initial discharge indicates a need for a more thorough assessment of newborn infants and consideration of strategies to identify at-risk newborns, such as predischarge measurement of serum bilirubin levels.