IS KERNICTERUS A MATTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN?
Kernicterus has long been recognized as the pathologic sequela of severe hyperbilirubinemia. Although the condition is uncommon, the consequences are tragic, especially when it affects otherwise healthy term and near-term infants.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Kernicterus has become uncommon because of effective screening for and prevention of Rh incompatibility, a historically important cause, and the accessibility of phototherapy to treat hyperbilirubinemia due to increased production and/or decreased elimination of bilirubin. Furthermore, adherence by clinicians to the guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) concerning management of neonatal jaundice was expected to eliminate severe hyperbilirubinemia and prevent kernicterus.6, 7Little contemporary information is available on the incidence or prevalence of kernicterus or its consequences. In the reports from the Pilot Kernicterus Registry and the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program (KPMCP) database, neonatal d
