Kathy, she may have been using an Icterometer, a simple tool which is kind  
of like holding a paint swatch up to the skin to measure bilirubin levels. I  
found one in the Cascade Birthing Supplies catalog online. 
_http://www.1cascade.com/professional_products/icterometer/_ 
(http://www.1cascade.com/professional_products/icterometer/) 
 
I've also seen a simple "meter" kind of instrument that is used in the  
hospital before ordering a heel stick.  
From WebMD (not my favorite website but it does have some good information) 
Some hospitals may use a noninvasive device (called a transcutaneous  
bilirubin meter) instead of the standard heel stick to evaluate a newborn's  
bilirubin level. A transcutaneous bilirubin meter is a small handheld device  that 
measures bilirubin levels when placed gently against the skin. 

I learned how to judge bili levels the "old school way" from an article  that 
discussed the cephlocaudal progression of jaundice and equated potential  
levels by progression on the body. When I was in nursing school, I learned that  
many of the nursery nurses who had been practicing since the 70s or 80s, 
learned  from the same article. I may even have the article here somewhere!
Hope this explains better than the earlier email I sent you!
Best  regards,
Mary Kay Smith, RN, IBCLC
Canton MI USA

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