Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and early discharge from the maternity ward

Early discharge from the maternity hospital is almost becoming the rule: it is not clear if this practice actually increases the rate of newborn rehospitalization, but it surely poses some problems for jaundice management, since hyperbilirubinemia is the most frequent reason for hospital readmission. Available guidelines for jaundice management and early discharge are reviewed. Evidence-based update is given about four new points: use of gestational age as predictor jointly with the nomogram evaluation, two-point bilirubin assay, and rate of rise evaluation; choice of the "right" curve and unforeseen jaundice risk factors. In conclusion, available predictive tools allow reliable jaundice prediction and safe early discharge if adequate follow-up is planned according to the prediction. Advice about things to avoid is provided together with a practical flowchart based on guidelines and recent evidence-based data.