Neonatal Jaundice

This comprehensive CME/CE course explores Neonatal Jaundice, equipping healthcare professionals with the essential skills and evidence-based knowledge necessary for optimal patient care. Neonatal jaundice is a common condition affecting newborns, characterized by elevated bilirubin levels that result in the yellowing of the skin and eyes. While often benign, certain forms of jaundice can signal severe underlying conditions and require urgent intervention. In this course, participants will learn to identify typical presentations of jaundice in infants, differentiate between cases that require only monitoring versus those necessitating immediate treatment, and explore effective management strategies such as phototherapy and exchange transfusions. Additionally, learners will understand the pathophysiology of neonatal jaundice, its risk factors, diagnostic tools such as transcutaneous bilirubin measurement, and the latest treatment guidelines. This training is invaluable for physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners involved in caring for neonates and children. By the end of the course, attendees will be better equipped to identify high-risk cases, initiate appropriate treatment, and deliver family-centered care that enhances neonatal outcomes and reduces complications associated with hyperbilirubinemia.

Educational Objectives

• Describe typical presentations of jaundice in infants.
• Review how to differentiate conditions that can be observed versus those that require urgent treatment.
• Discuss management and treatment options.

The estimated time to complete this activity is 1 hour.

Who Should Do This Course

This course is designed for healthcare professionals involved in neonatal and pediatric emergency care, including:

Target Professions:

• Physicians
• Nurses
• Physician Assistants
• Nurse Practitioners

Relevant Specialties:

• Pediatrics
• Emergency Medicine
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Neonatal and Perinatology
• Critical Care Medicine

Did You Know?

• Approximately 60% of term infants and 80% of preterm infants develop jaundice in the first week of life. (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2004)
• Severe hyperbilirubinemia affects 1 in 20 term newborns. (Bhutani et al., 2013)
• Phototherapy is the most common treatment for neonatal jaundice and has significantly reduced the incidence of kernicterus.
• Universal screening for bilirubin levels before hospital discharge is recommended to predict severe hyperbilirubinemia. (AAP Guidelines, 2004)
• Breastfeeding-associated jaundice is usually benign and occurs in about 13% of breastfed infants. (ABM Clinical Protocol #22, 2017)