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The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline ‘Jaundice in newborn babies under 28 days’ (CG98) provides an evidence-based framework for this common condition.1 However, the 2023 National Health Service (NHS) Race and Health Observatory report highlighted how current neonatal jaundice practice contributes to race-related healthcare disparities.2 Infants from black, South Asian or other non-white ethnic groups are at a disproportionate risk of complications from severe jaundice, making up 50% of all cases of kernicterus despite representing only 25% of UK live births.3 Furthermore, evidence suggests that transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurements are less precise in neonates with dark skin. However, these findings are derived from studies with small sample sizes and additional data are needed to robustly assess the impact of skin tone on TcB and serum bilirubin (SBR) concordance.2