Kernicterus at low levels of serum bilirubin: the impact of bilirubin albumin-binding capacity. A 10-year retrospective survey.

A retrospective survey of neonatal post-mortems over a 10-year period was made to establish the incidence of kernicterus and the associated laboratory abnormalities. Cases with evidence of kernicterus without hyperbilirubinaemia were found to have significantly lower reserve albumin-binding capacity (RABC) than the control group. The results suggest that RABC estimation is a necessary adjunct in the assessment of the jaundiced, low birthweight neonate.