Related Experiment Videos
Predicting significant hyperbilirubinaemia using birth weight
V J Flaherman1, A Ferrara, T B Newman
1Division of General Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA. FlahermanV@peds.ucsf.edu
Background:
A recent study proposed a risk factor scoring system for prediction of hyperbilirubinaemia that assigned increased risk to infants of higher birth weight.
Objective:
To investigate this novel finding in a large, retrospective cohort analysis.
Methods:
105 384 newborns (> or =2000 g and > or =36 weeks) were analysed, and the effect of higher birth weight on total serum bilirubin (TSB) > or =342 micromol/l was reported using logistic regression to control for gestational age, scalp injury diagnosis, maternal diabetes, method of delivery and other confounders.
Results:
The odds ratio for the effect of an additional 500 g of birth weight on TSB > or =342 micromol/l declined with increasing gestational age from 1.55 (95% CI 1.28 to 1.87) at 36 weeks to 1.30 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.50) at 37 weeks and 1.14 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.29) at 38 weeks. There was no association for infants > or =39 weeks.
Conclusion:
Higher birth weight predicts TSB > or =342 micromol/l in 36-38 week infants, but not in infants > or =39 weeks. Further research should explore the causal mechanism for the association in less-mature infants.
Related Concept Videos
Jaundice
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
Regression Toward the Mean
z Scores and Area Under the Curve
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution