Chapter I INTRODUCTION

Neonatal jaundice is a disorder that affects nearly 50% of all newborns to at least a small degree (http:// highered.mcgraw-hill.com/neonatal jaundice.html September 23, 2010). Jaundice comes from the French word jaune which means yellow. When it is said that a baby is jaundiced, it simply means that the color of his skin appears yellow. Premature infants are more likely to develop jaundice than fullterm babies. It is the most common condition that requires medical attention in newborns. The yellow coloration of the skin and sclera in newborns with jaundice is the result of accumulation of unconjugated bilirubin. In most infants, unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia reflects a normal transitional phenomenon. However, in some infants, serum bilirubin levels may excessively rise, which should be of concern because unconjugated bilirubin is neurotoxic and can cause death in newborns and lifelong neurologic sequelae in infants who survive. These are the main reasons why the student nurses decided to have the case because if it is left untreated and unmonitored, the life of a baby will be at high risk. The study focuses on how newborn infants manifest jaundice and how it should be treated. The patient, Baby DongHae, who is 16 days old, was admitted because he manifested jaundice 3 days after his birth. He is a premature

newborn and the total of his bilirubin according to the laboratory results is very high. The purpose of studying this is to increase the awareness of the health care providers and their understanding of current issues concerning newborns especially to the adjustment to life of the newborn outside the womb which is a complex process. For the newborn infant, the first week after birth is a time of major metabolic and physiologic adaptation. The newborns undergo some changes, and most systems are immature at birth. Keeping updated on current issues during the newborn period will help pediatric nurses provide appropriate care for infants and offer suitable anticipatory guidance to parents and other caregivers. This is a big implication on the nursing research since Newborn Screening will be more encouraged and implemented to prevent certain type of condition to newborns.