Frequency of neonatal physiologic jaundice was investigated retrospectively through discharge summary notes of the newborn nursery of Seoul National University Hospital between May 1970 and October 1970. The total number of infants included in the present study was 599.
1) The incidence of neonatal physiologic jaundice in this series was 47.9% which probably represents less than true incidence since there were many infants whose discharge summary notes failed to specify presence or absence or jaundice.
2) There was no sexual difference in the incidence of neonatal physiologic jaundice although the postmature infants revealed much higher occurence compared to that of premature infants.
3) The appearance of juandice in the most of infants dated at the age of 3-day and jaundice was noticed within 4-day of life in almost all of infants.:
4) Neither total serum bilirubin level nor findings of peripheral hemogram was characerteristic in moderate to severely jaundiced infants.
5) Conditions frequently correlated with jaundiced newborn infants were caesarean section, meconium stationed umbilical cord, suspected infection, cephalhematoma, skull molding, anemia, toxemia/pre-eclampsia, early rupture of membrane and twin, birth, in that order. These conditions may play a significant role in addition to the intrinsic factors which facilitate appearance of jaundice in the newborn infants.
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