RT Book, Section A1 Pammi, Mohan A1 Lee, Henry C. A1 Suresh, Gautham K. A2 Kline, Mark W. SR Print(0) ID 1182920783 T1 Neonatal Jaundice T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 23e YR 2018 FD 2018 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781259588594 LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1182920783 RD 2024/03/28 AB Jaundice, a yellow discoloration of the skin and sclerae resulting from bilirubin deposition in tissues arises when the rate of bilirubin production exceeds the rate of its elimination. Newborn infants have a rate of bilirubin formation that is 2 to 3 times higher than that of adults due to the higher hematocrit and the shorter lifespan of the red blood cells. The decrease in bilirubin elimination results from the limited ability of the newborn liver to conjugate bilirubin and the increased enterohepatic circulation. Although jaundice can result from an increase in either unconjugated (indirect) or conjugated (direct) bilirubin, a rise in the indirect fraction is the most common cause of newborn jaundice and is the focus of this chapter.