PEDIATRICS Vol. 72 No. 4 October 1983, pp. 576-577
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Ictophobia

NORMAN LEWAK MD1 and MYLES ABBOTT MD1

1 2219 Santa Clara Ave, Alameda, CA 94501

To the Editor.—

Thanks to Drs Watchko and Oski for the commentary on the phobia noted in physicians when the bilirubin level in healthy, nonhemolytic newborns approaches 20 mg/dL.1 They focused on the questionable use of exchange transfusions, but only alluded to the greater problem: phototherapy. Worse than either phototherapy or exchange transfusions, however, is the potential for each of these treatments to create a third problem, that of telling families they have a child who needs treatment to prevent brain damage, which in turn may lead to the vulnerable child syndrome.2