Jaundice in full-term and near-term babies who leave the hospital within 36 hours - The pediatrician's nemesis

There has been an increase in hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn population and perhaps an increase in bilirubin encephalopathy as well. The early discharge of newborns from the hospital has made it necessary for pediatricians to reorient their thinking about bilirubin levels in the first 24-48 hows of life and alter their approach to follow-up. The pediatrician must evaluate and follow infants who have risk factors for the development of severe hyperbilirubinemia, paying particular attention to the breast feeding, near-term infant.