[What blood tests to predict severe hyperbilirubinemia in early maternity discharge?]

To evaluate the efficiency of blood tests (blood group, direct antiglobulin test) to assess severe hyperbilirubinemia in full-term newborns, delivered from mothers with rhesus negative or O group and to determine clinical and biological factors that may improve the prediction characteristics of this blood test.

We included all the full-term newborns, delivered from mothers with rhesus negative or O group, in a tertiary maternity ward, in 2005, from January6th to December31st.

One thousand and ninety-two children were included. Newborns of A, B or AB group delivered from a mother 0 were at increased risk of presenting severe hyperbilirubinemia (OR=2.35 [1.22-4.52]). The negative predictive value was 96%. Yet, the determination of the Coombs test does not increase NPV.

Systematic performance of blood test for newborns delivered from mother with O group does increase the ability to predict severe hyperbilirubinemia in a newborn infant. Direct antiglobulin test systematic performance remains questionable.