Kernicterus

Bilirubin encephalopathy of the newborn, or kernicterus, results from impregnation of specific cerebral structures - notably, the basal ganglia - that ultimately leads to neuronal loss and gliosis most commonly associated with extrapyramidal dysfunction and mental retardation. The condition has not been eradicated despite the standardization of newborn medical care in developed countries and there is little treatment available. Emphasis on prevention, particularly in preterm neonates, is curtailed by uncertainties about individual cerebral vulnerability and bilirubin toxicity mechanisms. This entry, therefore, focuses on the characterization of the clinical syndrome and on the disorders and circumstances that confer an elevated risk for kernicterus.