Hahn S, et al. - In this retrospective analysis, researchers evaluated the postnatal rate of rise (ROR) of total serum bilirubin (TSB) in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants, determined risk factors correlated with a rapid rise (>90th percentile), and compared ROR and hour-specific TSB at postnatal 12–48 h with literature data on term infants. The study sample consisted of 2430 routine TSB concentrations obtained between birth and initiation of phototherapy in 483 VLBW infants. Findings revealed that ROR of TSB is an early and prolonged phototherapy indicator. While hour-specific TSB and ROR at 12–48 h are lower than reported for (near-)term infants, TSB seems to rise faster in infants with low gestational age, low birth weight, and a low Apgar score of 5 minutes.