Our Calling is Caring: May 08

When making a recent follow-up call to a mother of a recently discharged baby with jaundice*, Barbara one of our NICU nurses discovered the infant's bilirubin level was significantly high and the baby's appointment with the physician was not going to be another week. Barbara instructed the mother to call the doctor's office, inform the office about the increase in symptoms associated with an increased bilirubin level, and the baby needed to be seen by the doctor immediately.

The baby was then admitted to the hospital for hyperbilirubinemia*. It just goes to show that discharge phone calls are very important clinically for the ones we care about, our patients. The family felt cared about and in this instance connected the caregiver to true purpose of calling.

Melba Allan
Catholic Healthcare West - Methodist Hospital
Henderson, NV

*Jaundice/Hyperbilirubinemia-During their first few days of life, more than half of all full-term babies and as many as four out of five premature infants who are otherwise healthy develop jaundice, a yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes. Although some babies are jaundiced at birth, most develop infant jaundice during their second or third day of life. That's why you may not notice it until after your baby is home.

Infant jaundice itself isn't a disease. In most cases infant jaundice occurs because your baby's liver isn't mature enough to metabolize a molecule called bilirubin, which normally forms when the body recycles old or damaged red blood cells.

Infant jaundice usually isn't a cause for alarm. It doesn't cause discomfort for your baby, and it usually disappears on its own in one to two weeks. Still, infant jaundice should be closely monitored by your baby's doctor because severe jaundice can lead to serious complications. Treatments can help keep your baby's blood level of bilirubin from becoming too high.

Left untreated, severe jaundice can lead to a rare, but very serious, condition called kernicterus (hyperbilirubinemia). With kernicterus, extremely high levels of bilirubin can cause damage to a newborn's brain and may lead to deafness, severe developmental disabilities and an unusual form of cerebral palsy. Prompt treatment of jaundice can keep kernicterus from developing. Read more from Mayo Clinic.

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