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History

Physiologic jaundice usually manifests after the first 24 hours of life. This can be accentuated by breastfeeding, which, in the first few days of life, may be associated with suboptimal milk and suboptimal caloric intake, especially if milk production is delayed. This is known as breastfeeding jaundice. Jaundice that manifests before the first 24 hours of life should always be considered pathologic until proven otherwise. In this situation, a full diagnostic workup with emphasis on infection and hemolysis should be undertaken.

True breast milk jaundice (BMJ) manifests after the first 4-7 days of life. A second peak in serum bilirubin level is noted by age 14 days.

In clinical practice, differentiating between physiologic jaundice from breast milk jaundice is important so that the duration of hyperbilirubinemia can be predicted. Identifying the infants who become dehydrated secondary to inadequate breastfeeding is also important. These babies need to be identified early and given breastfeeding support and formula supplementation as necessary. Depending on their serum bilirubin concentration, neonates with hyperbilirubinemia may become sleepy and feed poorly.

Physical Examination

Clinical jaundice is usually first noticed in the sclera and the face. Then, it progresses caudally to reach the abdomen and extremities. Gentle pressure on the skin helps to reveal the extent of the jaundice, especially in darker-skinned babies; however, clinical observation is not an accurate measure of the severity of the hyperbilirubinemia.

A rough correlation is observed between blood levels and the extent of jaundice (face, approximately 5 mg/dL; mid abdomen, approximately 15 mg/dL; soles, 20 mg/dL). Therefore, clinical decisions should always be based on serum bilirubin levels. Skin should have normal perfusion and turgor and show no petechiae.

Neurologic examination findings, including neonatal reflexes, should be normal, although the infant may be sleepy. Muscle tone and reflexes (eg, Moro reflex, grasp, rooting) should be normal.

Evaluate the infant's hydration status by an assessment of the percentage of birth weight that may have been lost, as well as observation of the mucous membranes, fontanelle, and skin turgor.

Differential Diagnoses

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Media Gallery

The graph represents indications for phototherapy and exchange transfusion in infants (with a birthweight of 3500 g) in 108 neonatal ICUs. The left panel shows the range of indications for phototherapy, whereas the right panel shows the indications for exchange transfusion. Numbers on the vertical axes are serum bilirubin concentrations in mg/dL (lateral) and mmol/L (middle). In the left panel, the solid line refers to the current recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for low-risk infants, the line consisting of long dashes (- - - - -) represents the level at which the AAP recommends phototherapy for infants at intermediate risk, and the line with short dashes (-----) represents the suggested intervention level for infants at high risk. In the right panel, the dotted line (......) represents the AAP suggested intervention level for exchange transfusion in infants considered at low risk, the line consisting of dash-dot-dash (-.-.-.-.) represents the suggested intervention level for exchange transfusion in infants at intermediate risk, and the line consisting of dash-dot-dot-dash (-..-..-..-) represents the suggested intervention level for infants at high risk. Intensive phototherapy is always recommended while preparations for exchange transfusion are in progress. The box-and-whisker plots show the following values: lower error bar = 10th percentile; lower box margin = 25th percentile; line transecting box = median; upper box margin = 75th percentile; upper error bar = 90th percentile; and lower and upper diamonds = 5th and 95th percentiles, respectively.

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Author

Prashant G Deshpande, MD Attending Pediatrician, Department of Pediatrics, Christ Hospital Medical Center and Hope Children's Hospital; Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Midwestern University

Prashant G Deshpande, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, American Telemedicine Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Sameer Wagle, MBBS, MD Consulting Staff, Division of Neonatology, Northwest Medical Center of Springdale and Willow Creek Women’s Hospital

Sameer Wagle, MBBS, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Mary L Windle, PharmD Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Brian S Carter, MD, FAAP Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine; Attending Physician, Division of Neonatology, Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics; Faculty, Children's Mercy Bioethics Center

Brian S Carter, MD, FAAP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Pediatric Society, American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Society for Pediatric Research, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Muhammad Aslam, MD Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine; Neonatologist, Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UC Irvine Medical Center

Muhammad Aslam, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

Oussama Itani, MD, FAAP, FACN Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University; Medical Director, Department of Neonatology, Borgess Medical Center

Oussama Itani, MD, FAAP, FACN is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for Physician Leadership, American Heart Association, American College of Nutrition

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Acknowledgements

The authors and editors of Medscape Drugs & Diseases gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous author Timothy Ramer, MD, to the development and writing of this article.

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