Maternal and neonatal factors affecting physiological jaundice in western U.P

Several maternal and fetal factors are responsible for neonatal jaundice, which is a common observation in large number of newborns. However, role of these factors in causation of this condition is not well established. Fifty pregnant mothers and their fifty two newborns were studied in the present study. Mothers with complicated pregnancy or septicemia at the time of delivery were excluded. In addition newborns with congenital or chromosomal abnormalities were excluded. Serum concentrations of bilirubin of all neonates were measured on days 1, 3 and 5. It was found to be lower on day 1, with a peak at day 3. The area under serum bilirubin level-time curve (AUC) for each neonate was also calculated. Fetal sex and birth weight were not found to significantly affect the neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Newborn of bipara mothers were found to have significantly lower (P < 0.05) serum bilirubin level on day 1 as compared to primipara mothers only but higher (P < 0.05) on day 3 as compared to either primi or multipara mothers. Yet, AUC of serum bilirubin curve was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in newborns of bipara mothers than others. Significantly (P < 0.05) higher serum bilirubin on day 1 was also observed in preterm neonates than full term ones. However, maternal haemoglobin and mode of delivery were not shown to affect the neonatal bilirubin levels in these newborns.