Kernicterus is permanent brain injury caused by severely elevated bilirubin crossing into the brain. It is entirely preventable: measure bilirubin against age-specific thresholds, start phototherapy when the threshold is crossed, and act before levels reach dangerous heights.
Written by Dr. Rajendra Pathak, MBBS, MD (Pediatrics), Senior Consultant Paediatrician and Founder-Director, Vatsalya Children's Hospital, Mahavir Road, Orderly Bazar, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221002. 40+ years, 10,000+ patients. Phone: +91 9838585111.
