To the Editor: About 5% of Australians of Asian, African, Middle Eastern or Mediterranean descent have glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.1 Affected babies can develop massive haemolysis within hours of exposure to clothes stored with mothballs containing naphthalene. It has long been known that this results in severe jaundice, which may lead to kernicterus2 and profound brain damage, for which the cost is either a lifetime of dependency and very expensive care, or death.
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We acknowledge the Advisory Committee of the Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network for endorsing this letter. We thank Judith Kirby, Department Head, NSW Poisons Information Centre, for providing the data in the Box.