Welcome to the Stop Kernicterus Project website, dedicated to preventing irreversible brain damage in newborns with severe jaundice.

What are we fighting for?

About 50% of newborns develop Jaundice (yellow color of skin caused by elevated serum bilirubin) during the first week of life. This is normal. However, some newborns develop severe jaundice that can cause irreversible brain damage (kernicterus) and even death. Kernicterus is common in low resource countries but can easily be prevented with early diagnosis and light therapy.

How are we fighting?

This website offers a strategy to prevent this tragedy by educating health providers and parents about jaundice, using a smartphone App for jaundice screening and bilirubin estimation, networking primary care clinics and treatment centres, and documenting the incidence of severe jaundice and bilirubin encephalopathy in a region or country.