Water supplementation in jaundiced babies.

Effects of water supplementation on physiological jaundice in breast-fed babies.

The effect of water supplementation in normal, term, breast-fed babies with physiological jaundice was studied. Water supplementation was given to 120 babies and 55 received no extra fluids. There was no significant difference between the two groups when peak serum bilirubin levels and incidence of phototherapy were compared.

Can transcutaneous bilirubinometry reduce the need for blood tests in jaundiced full term babies?

BACKGROUND Previous studies have suggested that transcutaneous bilirubinometry (TcB) may provide a useful method for screening for significant jaundice, thereby reducing unnecessary blood tests. These studies have not allowed an estimation of the magnitude of such a benefit. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the accuracy of TcB as a method of determining the need for serum bilirubin (SBR) measurements i...

Water Babies: an evolutionary parable.

The nineteenth-century Anglican theologian Charles Kingsley was immediately impressed by Darwin's Origin of Species. Whilst many in Victorian Britain reacted against the idea of natural selection, Kingsley saw in the contingency of selection a divinely ordained imperative for human endeavour, not least the pursuit of scientific knowledge. Here, Kingsley believed, was a crucial insight into the ...

Blue babies and nitrate-contaminated well water.

The use of nitrate-contaminated drinking water to prepare infant formula is a well-known risk factor for infant methemoglobinemia. Affected infants develop a peculiar blue-gray skin color and may become irritable or lethargic, depending on the severity of their condition. The condition can progress rapidly to cause coma and death if it is not recognized and treated appropriately. Two cases of b...

First Opinion: Babies, Babies, and More Babies