New smartphone app can detect newborn jaundice in minutes

A condition that’s defined by yellow discoloration of skin and eyes, jaundice affects many infants when they’re first born. It occurs when    the   baby’s blood contains too much bilirubin, a yellow pigment of red    blood  cells, due to an immature liver.

Infant jaundice often doesn’t need to be treated — but if it’s severe  enough and isn’t treated, it can ultimately lead to complications. Now, a  newly-developed smartphone app will assist parents in screening their  babies to see if they need a blood test to check bilirubin levels.

 “ Virtually every baby gets jaundiced, and we’re sending them home from  the hospital even before bilirubin levels reach their peak,” said James Taylor, a professor of pediatrics and medical director at the newborn nursery at University of Washington Medical Center. “This smartphone test is really for babies in the first few days after they go home. A parent or health care provider can get an accurate picture of bilirubin to bridge the gap after leaving the hospital.” 

The app is called BiliCam and uses a smartphone’s camera, flash, and color calibration card. The phone is placed on the infant’s belly, then the parent or doctor can take a picture with the color card in view, thus determining different lighting conditions and skin tones. The app then reports the baby’s bilirubin levels. Though jaundice screening is available in some hospitals, it is usually extremely expensive and can’t be used at home. The app would provide an easy and accurate way for parents to identify jaundice early. “This is a way to provide peace of mind for the parents of newborns,” Shwetak Patel, an associate professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington, said.