App that detects jaundice in newborns could save lives in Asia and Africa

Newborns suspected of having jaundice can be given a blood test at the hospital, but the condition sometimes only occurs several days after birth once the child has been brought home. — AFP Relaxnews

A smartphone app that lets users check the eyes of newborn babies for jaundice may be an effective, low-cost way of identifying which cases need treatment, scientists reported March 2.

Jaundice, a liver problem which causes the skin and whites of the eyes to turn yellow, causes 114,000 newborn deaths and 178,000 cases of disability a year.