Publication:

Prospective study of clinical profile, causes, risk factors and treatment of hyperbilirubinemia in preterm and term babies

Background Neonatal jaundice is often physiologic and benign, but dangerous, at levels producing neurological injury, adding on to mortality and morbidity in developing nations. Hence the present study is undertaken to document the proportion, clinical profile, causes, risk factors and treatment of hyperbilirubinemia in preterm and term babies.

Methods This study conducted over 100 hyperbilirubinemia babies who admitted in Rich Pediatric Hospital, Pogathota, Nellore during the period of October 2014 to September 2015.Hyperbilirubinemia is more common among preterm babies born to mothers of 19-22 years and term babies born to mothers of 21-26 years age group.

Results The most common etiological factors identified among all the gestational categories were sepsis (23.0%) followed by ABO incompatibility (20.0%) and Rh incompatibility (6.0%). Among preterm babies (35-37 wks.) the most common were ABO incompatibility (15.0%), Sepsis (10.0%) and polycythemia (10.0%), while among term babies, the most common factors were ABO incompatibility (23.9%), Sepsis (16.4%) Rh incompatibility (7.5%) and Cephalhaematoma (7.5%). In a large proportion of cases, etioliogy remined idiopathic (44.0%).

Conclusions Requirement of exchange transfusion was more among term babies compared to preterm babies. Rh incompatibility was the only etiology.