TITLE:
Neonatal Jaundice: Epidemiological, Diagnosis, and Prognosis Aspects in the Pediatric Department of the Roi Baudouin Hospital Center in Guediawaye (Dakar, Senegal)
AUTHORS:
Aliou Abdoulaye Ndongo, Guillaye Diagne, Jean Baptiste Diouf, Djibril Boiro, Idrissa Basse, Djeneba Fafa Cissé, Ndeye Anta Ndiaye, Fatou Ly, Assane Sylla
KEYWORDS:
Jaundice, Newborn, Bilirubin, Guediawaye, Senegal
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.16 No.1,
January
13,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Neonatal jaundice is defined as a yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes caused by the deposition of bilirubin in the tissues of a newborn. It is a very common symptom requiring significant medical attention in newborns, affecting 60% to 85% of them. The objective of our study was to describe the epidemiological, diagnosis, and prognosis aspects of neonatal jaundice at the Neonatology Center of the King Baudouin Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive, and analytical single-center study conducted from January 2019 to December 2022, at the King Baudouin Hospital Center in Guediawaye. All newborns admitted to the unit for neonatal jaundice or who developed jaundice during hospitalization were included. Incomplete or unusable records and transferred newborns were excluded. Data were collected from medical records. Analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Results: Of the 285 newborns hospitalized, 116 were admitted for neonatal jaundice, representing a prevalence of 40.7%. The sex ratio was 2.66. Clinically, the most frequently observed signs were frank jaundice (88.8%), respiratory distress (28.4%), and signs of prematurity (14%). Plasma bilirubin levels were measured in 54.6% of newborns, and 28.5% presented with predominantly unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia (UCB). Infections and prematurity were the most common causes of UCB jaundice, accounting for 40.7% and 18.6% of cases, respectively. Biliary atresia was the only etiology of cholestatic jaundice in one newborn. Phototherapy, whether intensive or conventional, was administered to 90.5% of newborns with non-cholestatic jaundice. The short-term outcome was favorable in 94.9% of cases. A mortality rate of 1.7% (2 patients) was observed in our study population. Conclusion: Neonatal jaundice is a common symptom that warrants special attention due to the serious complication it can cause: kernicterus. Therefore, it would be wise to develop a decision tree adapted to our context to ensure optimal management.