Thread by @jes_cerdena

Not @AmerAcadPeds conflating race & genetic ancestry, arguing that the latter predicts risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, and misusing the term “race-conscious medicine” without citing the trainee women of color @MarieVP_HU @tsaiduck77 who coined it #PedsTwitter #MedTwitter 1/

To be clear, race-conscious medicine is about #RACISM in medicine. The idea originates in critical race theory and legal+education policy with the aim of exposing the ways these allegedly neutral institutions—including medicine!—propagate racism. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-…
2/

If you want a better sense of why subbing purported ‘genetic ancestry’ for race is NOT race-conscious, read: humgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11…
or
thelancet.com/journals/lance…
or
science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…
3/

There is no need to rely on imprecise estimates of ancestry when we have reliable and easy tests for the conditions that increase hemolysis and risk of hyperbilirubinemia. Yes, these are mostly Mendelian diseases w geographic patterns, but why use ancestry when you can test? 4/

I say all this having JUST rotated through the NICU & nursery. There are tangible harms to presuming your Black or Afghan pt is hyperbilirubinemic d/t G6PD def and either d/c-ing wo working up other etiologies, risking neurotoxicity, or keeping a “high risk” baby admitted. 5/

The guidelines include some A+ details, especially re: breastfeeding support & hospital policy. Read more here: publications.aap.org/pediatrics/art…

If you made it this far, here’s @JuanLuisGuerra singing about his bili going up d/t heartache 😅:

/end