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Published on: August 19, 2020
Innovative approaches to neonatal jaundice diagnosis and management in low-resourced settings
1Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Haroon.Saloojee@wits.ac.za.
Insights
Innovative diagnostics and treatments for neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia are emerging. These cost-effective solutions offer hope for reducing infant mortality and disability in resource-limited areas.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Public Health
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Severe neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia causes significant mortality and disability, especially in resource-limited settings.
- Existing diagnostic and therapeutic options are often inadequate, inefficient, or unaffordable.
Conclusions:
- Novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies offer a promising approach to combatting neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia.
- These advancements have the potential to significantly reduce the burden of disease in resource-limited settings.
- A shift towards more accessible and effective neonatal care is anticipated.
Abstract:
Persistent challenges in addressing severe neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia in resource-constrained settings have led to ongoing and often unacceptable rates of morbidity, disability and mortality. These challenges stem from limitations such as inadequate, inefficient or financially inaccessible diagnostic and therapeutic options. However, over the past decade, noteworthy innovations have emerged to address some of these hurdles, and these innovations are increasingly poised for broader implementation. This review provides a concise summary of these novel, economically viable diagnostic solutions, encompassing point-of-care assays and smartphone applications, as well as treatment modalities, notably more effective phototherapy and filtered sunlight. These advancements hold promise and have the potential to meaningfully reduce the burden of neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia, signifying a promising shift in the landscape of neonatal healthcare.

