Incidence of and risk factors for neonatal jaundice among newborns in southern Nepal

Objective To quantify the incidence of and risk factors for neonatal jaundice among infants referred for care from a rural, low‐resource, population‐based cohort in southern Nepal. Methods Study participants were 18 985 newborn infants born in Sarlahi District in southern Nepal from May 2003 through January 2006 who participated in a cluster‐randomised, placebo‐controlled, community‐based trial to evaluate the effect of newborn chlorhexidine cleansing on neonatal mortality and morbidity. Jaundice was assessed based on visual assessment of the infant by a study worker and referral for care. Adjusted relative risks (RR) were estimated to identify risk factors for referral for neonatal jaundice using Poisson regression. Results The incidence of referral for neonatal jaundice was 29.3 per 1000 live births (95% confidence interval: 26.9, 31.7). Male sex, high birth weight, breastfeeding patterns, warm air temperature, primiparity, skilled birth attendance, place of delivery, prolonged labour, oil massage, paternal education and ethnicity were significant risk factors (P‐values