Jaundice in newborns has been reported to be on the rise in the Volta Region of the country. Data on the level of jaundice reveals an increase in the incidence of newborns, with a total of 720 cases reported in 2019, 879 cases in 2020, 997 cases in 2021, and 1238 cases in 2022. The rise in neonatal jaundice cases is reported to have several factors fueling the increase across the country.
Although newborn jaundice has been on the rise in the Volta Region over the years, there has been a significant decrease in the mortality rate. This has resulted from conscious awareness creation among health workers and mothers to detect early cases for treatment.
Despite the low mortality rate, newborn jaundice affects a staggering number of infants worldwide each year, with approximately 6 out of 10 term babies and 8 out of 10 preterm babies developing jaundice. The Head of Paediatrics in charge of Sub BMC at the Ho Teaching Hospital, Dr. Richard Bright Danyo, in an interview with Citi News, said cases are on the rise due to unsustained awareness of the issue.
Dr. Danyo stated that newborn jaundice is a preventable cause and advised parents to be vigilant in detecting signs of it in their infants. Despite the decrease in the mortality rate, he also lamented the inadequacy of equipment at the facility in handling such cases and appealed to authorities to come to their aid.
