Neonatal jaundice affects more than 80 of newborns and is the most common cause of readmission after discharge from the nursery. From the day of discharge to day 5 after birth is critical because the bilirubin level peaks during this period for most neonates. In 2022, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its 2004 clinical practice guideline and 2009 commentary that included clarification and modifications for the postnursery management of healthy neonates. Based on evaluation of evidence published since 2004, the AAP clinical practice committee raised the phototherapy thresholds by a narrow range that the committee considered to be safe, revised the risk assessment approach based on the hour-specific bilirubin concentration, and defined an "escalation of care" approach to rapidly address elevated bilirubin concentrations. The primary aim of postdischarge jaundice evaluation is to avoid severe hyperbilirubinemia, which can impose a risk of bilirubin toxicity to the central nervous system.
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