A new smartphone app from Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) enables health visitors (and other healthcare professionals working with newborns) to identify the signs of serious liver disease in newborn babies more quickly and easily.The app, which has been endorsed by Public Health England and the Institute of Health Visiting, is the newest initiative in the charity’s Yellow Alert campaign (yellowalert.org) to promote the early diagnosis and referral of liver disease in babies.
While newborn jaundice is very common, if it persists beyond 14 days (21 days in a pre-term baby) it can be a sign of liver disease. The role of health visitors, midwives, GPs and practice nurses in spotting the signs of liver disease and arranging referral is a vital.
Another key indicator is stool and urine colour; persistently pale stools and yellow urine are also an indicator of liver disease. If the baby’s symptoms do indicate a cause for concern, the health visitor should immediately request a split bilirubin blood test, which will indicate if the jaundice is caused by liver disease.
Available in IOS and Android format, the Yellow Alert app is available to download free from http://www.childliverdisease.org/yellowalertapp. For more information on CLDF visit childliverdisease.org