YEAR 05 • ADVANCED CLINICAL

Paediatrics

20 learning units • 100 chapter sections • 200 explained questions. Assess children from birth through adolescence, recognise urgent illness and plan safe treatment, prevention and family-centred follow-up.

Original RAHBAR study material for the Year 5 learning pathway. Clinical cases support supervised undergraduate learning. Treatment choices, doses and procedures must follow current local protocols and the responsible clinical team. References & further reading ↓

MODULE 05 / 20

Neonatal Jaundice & Early Feeding Problems

Interpret jaundice by age and risk and recognise feeding-related or cholestatic disease.

Quick revision ↓ Medical Dictionary

01Timing matters

Jaundice in the first 24 hours needs urgent assessment and bilirubin measurement. Later jaundice may be common but still requires age-appropriate evaluation. Assess gestation, feeding, weight change and illness signs; visual inspection alone cannot determine whether the bilirubin level is safe.

02Measure and interpret

Interpret bilirubin against the infant’s age in hours, gestation and the applicable treatment chart. Different babies can require different action at the same numerical level. Check trends and clinical risk rather than applying an adult reference range or a single universal treatment threshold.

03Treatment principles

Phototherapy and, in severe cases, escalation to specialist treatments follow the relevant threshold pathway. Support feeding and hydration while monitoring response. Sunlight is not a reliable substitute for prescribed phototherapy, and treatment must not be delayed when levels or symptoms indicate urgency.

04Prolonged jaundice

Persistent jaundice needs an appropriate assessment that includes stool and urine colour and conjugated bilirubin where indicated. Pale stools or dark urine can suggest cholestasis and require prompt review. Do not label every prolonged case as breast-milk jaundice without considering other disease.

05Feeding and weight

Assess latch or feeding technique, intake, wet nappies and weight trajectory when intake is inadequate. Excessive weight loss or dehydration needs clinical review and a feeding plan. Support the caregiver without blame, and arrange reassessment to confirm recovery rather than assuming advice alone resolves the problem.

High-Yield Revision

Use age in hours when interpreting bilirubin.
Pale stools are a cholestasis warning.
Support feeding alongside jaundice treatment.

Common Pitfalls

Judging bilirubin severity by colour alone.
Substituting sunlight for indicated phototherapy.

References & Further Reading

Read the relevant guideline sections alongside these original clinical teaching cases. Local pathways, available services and individual patient factors determine care.

Reference review: 28 September 2026. Consult current local protocols for prescribing, procedures and escalation.