@article{8c32b4471f1b4356ab8c8fe4db7b767a,
title = "Surveillance of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia in Denmark. A method to identify the newborn infants",
abstract = "AIM: To describe the incidence of infants born at term or near-term with extreme hyperbilirubinaemia. METHODS: The study period was between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2005, and included all infants born alive at term or near-term in Denmark. Medical reports on all newborn infants with a total serum bilirubin concentration (TSB) > or = 450 micromol/L were obtained by linking laboratory data to the unique Danish personal identification number. RESULTS: In total, 113 infants were included, that is, an incidence of 45/100,000 live births. Thirty-seven infants presented in hospital, 2 after home birth and the others after having been discharged. The maximum TSB was 485 (450-734) micromol/L (median [range]) and appeared latest amongst those infants admitted from home, but was not different from the maximum TSB of the nondischarged infants. Forty-three infants had symptoms of early-phase acute bilirubin encephalopathy; one infant had advanced-phase symptoms. Four infants received an exchange transfusion. ABO blood group incompatibility was present in 52 infants. Thirty-seven infants were of non-Caucasian descent. CONCLUSION: A method to obtain the national epidemiological data is presented. The observed incidence of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia is higher than previously reported in Denmark. This is mainly due to a very sensitive method of identifying the study group.",
keywords = "Coombs' Test, Denmark, Gestational Age, Humans, Hyperbilirubinemia, Incidence, Infant, Newborn, Mass Screening, Population Surveillance, Prevalence, Severity of Illness Index",
author = "Bjerre, {Jesper Vandborg} and Petersen, {Jes Reinholdt} and Finn Ebbesen",
year = "2008",
doi = "10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.00879.x",
language = "English",
volume = "97",
pages = "1030--4",
journal = "Acta Paediatrica",
issn = "0803-5253",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
}