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The need for neonatal jaundice screening awareness in the Pakistani population: short communication
Hafsa Naeem1, Kaleem Ullah2, Sidhant Ochani3
1Department of Medicine, Dow International Medical College, Karachi.
Insights
Neonatal jaundice affects many newborns and can be fatal. Educating mothers and improving midwife knowledge on early detection and treatment is crucial, especially in high-risk areas like Pakistan.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Neonatal jaundice is a prevalent condition affecting a significant percentage of newborns.
- It is a leading cause of neonatal mortality globally.
- Jaundice can be physiological or pathological, with physiological jaundice being more common.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of early detection and management of neonatal jaundice.
- To emphasize the limitations of visual screening, particularly in diverse skin tones.
- To advocate for improved maternal education and healthcare provider training in high-risk regions.
Main Methods:
- The study reviews existing literature on neonatal jaundice prevalence and causes.
- It analyzes the effectiveness of current screening methods.
- It discusses the implications for healthcare practices in regions with high home birth rates.
Main Results:
- Visual screening for neonatal jaundice is unreliable, especially for infants with darker skin.
- Physiological jaundice results from increased hemoglobin breakdown over bilirubin clearance.
- Pathological jaundice stems from infections, drug toxicity, enzyme deficiencies, and congenital issues.
Conclusions:
- Educating mothers on recognizing jaundice signs is vital for early intervention.
- Enhancing midwives' knowledge is essential, particularly for home deliveries.
- Targeted educational strategies are crucial for reducing neonatal mortality from jaundice in high-risk populations like Pakistan.
Abstract:
Neonatal jaundice is a common illness that affects around 80% of preterm and 50-60% of full-term newborn infants. It is one of the most common causes of neonatal death. Neonatal jaundice may be physiological or pathological. Physiologic jaundice is far more common than pathologic jaundice and accounts for most hyperbilirubinemia. Physiologic jaundice in neonates is due to greater hemoglobin breakdown compared to bilirubin clearance. While pathological jaundice occurs due to various infections, drug toxicity, inborn enzyme deficiencies, Rhesus fetal-maternal incompatibility, hypothyroidism, and congenital biliary duct obstruction diseases. In many parts of the world, midwives, and nurses perform spontaneous vaginal deliveries and they only rely on visual screening for neonatal jaundice. However, this is not reliable, especially for newborns having darker skin. Educating the mothers on screening for early detection of neonatal jaundice and seeking medical treatment in a country like Pakistan, which is considered a high-risk population, is crucial. Also, as most females give birth at home, hence, midwives' knowledge about neonatal jaundice also needs to be improved.
