Transcutaneous Bilirubinometers in the Community
Transcutaneous Bilirubinometers in the Community
Jaundice is the most frequent reason for readmission for healthy newborns after discharge
 from the nursery. In the Capital Health area, around 2.5% (315 babies in 2005) of all healthy
 newborns were admitted to the hospital for jaundice. Although jaundice is very common, it is
 not always a benign condition. If left untreated, it can have devastating consequences
 including cerebral palsy and hearing loss. It is therefore critical to be able to identify
 the newborns at risk for severe jaundice. So far, heel puncture of blood collection has been
 the traditional method to monitor jaundice in newborns. This causes pain to infants,
 generates anxiety in parents, and consumes significant health care resources. The aim of this
 study is to evaluate the efficacy of a new and noninvasive screening tool, the transcutaneous
 bilirubinometer, in detecting babies in our communities who require hospital readmission.
 This study will demonstrate whether incorporating transcutaneous bilirubinometer in the home
 care program delivered by nurses of Healthy Beginning allows the early detection of babies at
 risk of developing severe jaundice at a lower cost and with less discomfort.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  All near term (35 and 36 weeks gestational age) and term (37 to 41 weeks) babies
 living in Alberta Capital Health (CH) region

 -  Born at any Capital Health or Caritas delivery facility(Royal Alexandra Hospital, Grey
 Nuns Community Hospital, Misericordia Community Hospital, Sturgeon Community Hospital,
 Fort Saskatchewan Health Centre, and WestView Health Centre)

 -  Discharged home from the nursery within 96 hours of life

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Babies who do not live in CH region

 -  Babies born at less than 35 weeks gestational age

 -  Babies initially admitted to a Special Care Nursery (SCN) or a Neonatal Intensive Care
 unit (NICU) for more than 72 hours

 -  Babies born to opting-out mothers will also be excluded