Factors associated to hospital re-admission of infants previously treated for hyperbilirubinemia

Neonatal jaundice holds significant morbidity including acute bilirubin encephalopathy and even death (1). Early identification of infants at risk for unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia has been the focus of much research. A 2006 study by Sgro et al., identified an overwhelming incidence of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Canada requiring admission for phototherapy (2). These findings resulted in several studies investigating methods and criteria for predicting infants at risk for longstanding consequences from delayed or missed treatment (1,3-14). Despite these efforts, failure to identify or monitor hyperbilirubinemia Original Article