Astudy on Cord Blood Albumin as an Indicator of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia Among Preterm Babies

Abstract

Introduction: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (NH) aff ects nearly 60% of term and 80%of preterm neonates during the first week of their life. Because of the potential toxicity of bilirubin, newborn infants must be monitored to identify those who might develop severe hyperbilirubinemia and, in rare cases, acute bilirubin encephalopathy or kernicterus. Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is the most commonreason for readmission after early hospital discharge. Objective : To find out critical value of Cord Serum albumin in predicting the subsequent development of significant neonatal hyperbilirubinemia requiring interventions like phototherapy or exchange transfusion.. Methodology: It is a Hospital based prospective observational studying a sample of 100 perterm babies with birth weight
<2.5 kg selected by simple random sampling. Cord blood was collected from the placental side at the time of delivery. Cord blood Albumin estimation was done by using auto-analyser while Serum bilirubin estimation (Total and direct) was done using venous blood of children having jaundice involving palms and soles on any day of follow up, using Diazotized Sulfanilic test by spectrometry. Results:In our study out of hundred patients 71 patients had hyper bilirubinemia requiring either phototherapy(PT) or Exchange transfuisom(ET). They were divided in three groups according to Cord blood albumin in group1,2,3 with CBA <2.8,2.8-3.1,>3.1 g/dl.Statistical analysis was conductedand it showed <2.8 g/dl CBA is critical and associated with higher relation with hyperbilirubinemia requiring phototherapy (95.65%) and also requiring Exchange transfuisosn 47.83%..CBA >3.1g/dl is less association with Hyperbilirubinemia,that is about in 9.52% cases.
Conclusion:Cord blood albumin can be considered as a risk indicator rather than diagnostic tool, which can give a clue to the possibility of severe jaundice during neonatal period. It may help treating doctors and the parents stay alert to take action at the earliest