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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Conference on Kernicterus: A Population Perspective on Prevention of Kernicterus

Journal of Perinatology volume 24, pages 723–725 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

This paper reviews barriers to the prevention of kernicterus. Reports of kernicterus cases persist. We do not know why kernicterus continues to occur or how best to prevent it. We need evidence for key recommendations that make clinical guidelines usable by practitioners caring for newborns, especially for practitioners providing ambulatory care in the first week of life. Data on prevalence and incidence, mortality and morbidity are essential for launching a kernicterus public health campaign. Modeling cost-effectiveness requires data on costs and benefits of alternative strategies for managing hyperbilirubinemia and preventing kernicterus and on parental preferences concerning follow-up in the first days of life. Understanding how existing patterns of care obstruct preventive care involves exploration of the roles of clinicians, health-care organizations, parents, and payers and purchasers of health care. Lastly, discovering how to motivate change in existing practices can provide the guidance needed to prevent kernicterus in the US.

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Acknowledgements

This paper was presented at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Conference: “Research on Prevention of Bilirubin-Induced Brain Injury”, July 21–22, 2003, Washington DC. This study was supported by Grant RO1 HS09782 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville MD (Palmer) and by Grant K23 HD043179-01 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD (Keren).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Center for Quality of Care Research and Education, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    R Heather Palmer MB BCh, SM, FAAP

  2. Division of General Pediatrics, Pediatric Generalist Research Group, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

    Ron Keren MD MPH

  3. Department of Pediatrics, The Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Ron Keren MD MPH

  4. William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, USA

    M Jeffrey Maisels MB BCh, FAAP

  5. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp MD

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  1. R Heather Palmer MB BCh, SM, FAAP
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  3. M Jeffrey Maisels MB BCh, FAAP
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Heather Palmer, R., Keren, R., Jeffrey Maisels, M. et al. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Conference on Kernicterus: A Population Perspective on Prevention of Kernicterus. J Perinatol 24, 723–725 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211153

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