title: Prospective surveillance study of severe hyperbilirubinaemia in the newborn in the UK and Ireland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of severe hyperbilirubinaemia in the newborn, and to identify associated clinical and demographic variables, and short-term outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, population-based study.
  
  
  METHODS
  UK and Republic of Ireland, between 1 May 2003 and 31 May 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infants in the first month of life with severe hyperbilirubinaemia (maximum unconjugated serum bilirubin >/=510 micromol/l).
  
  
  RESULTS
  108 infants met the case definition, 106 from the UK and 2 from the Republic of Ireland. The UK incidence of severe hyperbilirubinaemia was 7.1/100 000 live births (95% CI 5.8 to 8.6). Only 20 cases presented in hospital; 88 were admitted with severe jaundice. 64 (60.4%) cases were male, and 56 (51.8%) were of ethnic minority origin. 87 (80.5%) cases were exclusively breast fed. Co-morbidity included haemolysis, dehydration, infection and bruising. 14 infants showed evidence of bilirubin encephalopathy, of whom 3 died. The UK incidence of bilirubin encephalopathy was 0.9/100 000 live births (95% CI 0.46 to 1.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first large, prospective, population-based study of the incidence of severe hyperbilirubinaemia in the newborn. The clinical and demographic associations, and short-term outcomes identified, are the same as those reported recently in North America and Europe.
authors.affiliation: Donal Manning, Department of Paediatrics, Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral, Merseyside CH49 5PE, UK. donal.manning@whnt.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Donal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Manning
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jane Platt
mesh_terms: D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006932:Hyperbilirubinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D007647:Kernicterus / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001663:Bilirubin