Newborn Care - Jaundice

About the Course

Jaundice is a common condition seen in the newborn period. The clinical significance can vary from benign to life-threatening. Therefore, the management of jaundice requires an understanding of its causes, a thorough assessment of severity and careful monitoring of its progression. In this module we will discuss the pathophysiology of various causes of jaundice. We will also learn how to clinically stage jaundice, interpret bilirubin levels and treat with phototherapy.

Target audience

The module is intended for nurses, midwifes, clinical officers and medical doctors caring for newborns in MSF projects.

Duration

The estimated time to complete the course is 1 hour.

How to enrol

To access this eLearning module, you need first to enrol in the Newborn Care Learning Hub. The information on how to attend the module is available there.

Learning Objectives

Once you have completed this course, you should be able to:

  • describe the physiology of bilirubin metabolism,
  • discuss different causes of jaundice in newborns and differentiate between physiological and pathological jaundice, 
  • identify risk factors for jaundice in newborns, 
  • assess a newborn for jaundice and classify severity, 
  • discuss the principles and management of jaundice,
  • describe indications and nursing management of phototherapy.

List of Contents

Theory:

  • Introduction
  • Bilirubin metabolism
  • Physiological jaundice
  • Pathological jaundice
  • Assessing the severity of jaundice
  • Management of Jaundice in newborns

Application / 3 case studies

Summary / Learning points /Job aid

Certification

After completing the module and answering the final quiz with at least 80% correct responses learners are entitled a Tembo completion badge and a certificate.

Training approach

We recommend printing out the job aids and using the neonatal guideline during the module.

Release date : 

September 18, 2023