1 Department of Pediatrics University of Florida College of Medicine Gainesville, Florida 32601
A newborn infant presented with bloody stools at birth associated with swallowing maternal blood following partial abruption of the placenta. Hyperbilirubinemia appeared in the first 12 hours of life, and the usual causes were excluded. The postulate is made that the hyperbilirubinemia was the result of the absorption of heme from the ingested maternal blood.