Epidemiological aspects of neonatal jaundice in Chinese infants.

A study of 200 full-term Chinese newborns within a twelve months period has not demonstrated any significant effect of early immunizations on the incidence of neonatal jaundice in the first seven days of life. Study of cord serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels has also failed to establish an association between raised IgM levels with more severe degrees of jaundice. The significantly higher serum bilirubin levels seen in normal Chinese neonates cannot be attributed to infection, either natural or attenuated, and further investigations are indicated.