Neonatal Jaundice Requiring Phototherapy Risk Factors in a Newborn Nursery: Machine Learning Approach.

Background

Neonatal jaundice is common and can cause severe hyperbilirubinemia if untreated. The early identification of at-risk newborns is challenging despite the existing guidelines.

Objective

This study aimed to identify the key maternal and neonatal risk factors for jaundice requiring phototherapy using machine learning.

Methods

In this study hospital, phototherapy was administered following the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines when a neonate's transcutaneous bilirubin level was in the high-risk zone. To identify the risk factors for phototherapy, we retrospectively analyzed the electronic medical records of 8242 neonates admitted between 2017 and 2022. Predictive models were trained using maternal and neonatal data. XGBoost showed the best performance (AUROC = 0.911). SHAP values interpreted the model.

Results

Mode of delivery, neonatal feeding indicators (including daily formula intake and breastfeeding frequency), maternal BMI, and maternal white blood cell count were strong predictors. Cesarean delivery and lower birth weight were linked to treatment need.

Conclusions

Machine learning models using perinatal data accurately predict the risk of neonatal jaundice requiring phototherapy, potentially aiding early clinical decisions and improving outcomes.