Neonatal jaundice in Asia

Abstract

Neonatal jaundice is a major clinical problem globally, especially in the Asian and south-east Asian regions. There is no universal definition of hyperbilirubinaemia, and comparisons of management and control of hyperbilirubinaemia in infants at different centres are difficult. G6PD deficiency, ABO incompatibility, low birth weight and sepsis are the common causes of neonatal jaundice, but there is a group of babies whose cause of neonatal jaundice has yet to be found. Genetic factors may be responsible for ethnic differences in the ability to eliminate bilirubin, while unidentified environmental factors may also play a role in the prevalence of neonatal jaundice. As a result of a surveillance programme for neonatal jaundice in Singapore, involving health education of doctors, nurses and the lay public, screening of the newborn and the early treatment of jaundice, we have not seen a single case of kernicterus in Singapore for more than 10 years.