Evaluation of Etiology and Treatment of Jaundice in Neonates Pursuit Phototherapy in a Tertiary Care Rreferral Hospital - A Prospective Cohort Study.

Abstract

Aim: Neonatal jaundice, affects one in two infants globally, is a major cause of hospital admissions during the neonatal period. The aim of this study was to recognize the causes of jaundice in neonate’s and to identify the efficacy of phototherapy.

Methods:  A prospective cohort study was carried out among 495 new-borns with jaundice aged up to 7 days, both term and preterm in the department of neonatology for a period of 9 months. A data collection form was designed to collect the information. Neonatal and maternal assessments were done to assess the possible etiology of jaundice. Effectiveness of different treatments and phototherapy using different light sources was assessed.

Results: In our study as per the neonatal assessment, factors like low breast feeding (p=0.000), sepsis (p =0.006), hypoxia (p =0.003) and Glucose 6 phosphate dehydronase (p=0.000) are found to highly significant to the incidence of jaundice. According to the maternal assessment, factors like maternal ethnicity (p=0.000), thyroid status (p =0.000), history of neonatal jaundice (p =0.000), use of oxytocin infusion (p =0.004) and bruising during delivery (p =0.000,) are highly significant. This study shows that the most effective treatment was found to be exchange transfusion. Phototherapy was given in 78 % of the neonates.

Conclusion: Our study results conclude that there is highly significant relationship between low breast feeding and occurrence of neonatal jaundice. We believe that highly linked factor ‘maternal history of neonatal jaundice’ will bring up new treatment, prevention trends and early diagnosis for neonatal jaundice.