mHealth to Screen for Neonatal Jaundice in Low-resource Mexican Settings: a Feasibility Study

Neonatal jaundice (NNJ) is a common condition in newborns during the first week of life due to increased levels of bilirubin. Usually, it resolves without consequences after 7 to 10 days. However, around 10% of the newborns develop a severe form, which if is not detected on time, can lead to irreversible consequences including brain damage, disabilities and even death. The goal of this study is to determine the feasibility of implementing a smartphone app (Picterus JP) to screen for NNJ in low resource health facilities in Mexico and to evaluate its potential effectiveness to detect severe cases of the condition compared to the current used method that consists in visual assessment (VA). Research questions are: 1. Is it feasible to implement the smartphone app Picterus JP to screen for NNJ in low resource health facilities in Mexico? 2. Will Picterus JP increase the detection of severe NNJ compared to VA? Participants will include: 1. Newborns who attend the health facilities for neonatal check up 2. Health care workers (HCWs) using the app 3. Parents of newborns screened with Picterus JP Methodology: Mothers will be asked to consent their newborn's participation. The newborns will be then randomly assigned to either: 1. control group in which jaundice will be screened by healthcare workers using VA or 2. intervention group in which jaundice will be screened using Picterus JP in addition to VA If the bilirubin measurement with Picterus is \>15 mg/dl or there is suspicion of severe NNJ by VA, newborns will be referred to emergency room for further evaluation by a doctor and/or measure the level of bilirubin in blood. Researchers will compare the number of bilirubin blood levels \>15 mg/dl between the two groups. HCWs and newborns' parents will be interviewed to identify their perceptions and experiences towards the use of the app.