Bilirubin Toxicity: The Problem Was Solved a Generation Ago
Keyword(s):
The Past
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The article by Newman and Maisels1 in the current issue of Pediatrics is the latest in their crusade to prove that the prevailing management of neonatal jaundice is of unproven efficacy, probably risky, definitely wasteful of resources, and, therefore, should be changed.2-6 There is no doubt that the status of neonatal jaundice has been reduced to that of an "expensive nuisance." It is very common, but, in the great majority of the cases, it is not accompanied by any other clinical or laboratory abnormality, has no diagnostic value, and disappears in a few days without sequelae. The current status of neonatal jaundice contrasts with the respect and fear it generated in the past.