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Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Biochemical Measurement of Neonatal Hypoxia
Published on: August 24, 2011
[Relationship between apnea and hyperbilirubinemia in premature infants]
Lan-mei Liu1, Hong Hong, Li-xin Li
1Department of Pediatrics, Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Baiyun District, Guangzhou 510400, China. lenlenlen@163.com
Insights
High bilirubin levels are linked to apnea in premature infants. Treatments to lower bilirubin can improve infant apnea symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Pulmonology
Context:
- Premature infants are susceptible to apneic episodes.
- Hyperbilirubinemia is a common neonatal condition.
Purpose:
- To investigate the relationship between elevated bilirubin levels and apnea in premature infants.
- To assess the impact of bilirubin-lowering therapies on apneic episodes.
Summary:
- Premature infants with apnea showed higher indirect bilirubin levels compared to those without.
- A significant percentage of premature and term infants with apnea had elevated indirect bilirubin.
- Conventional therapy reduced both bilirubin levels and apnea severity.
Impact:
- Findings suggest hyperbilirubinemia may contribute to apnea in premature infants.
- Therapeutic interventions targeting bilirubin reduction can alleviate apnea symptoms.
- This research aids in understanding and managing cardiorespiratory complications in neonates.
Objective:
To explore the association between hyperbilirubinemia and apnea in premature infants.
Methods:
Premature infants with apnea and birth weight >1500 g were tested for the heart rate, serum level of bilirubin, saturation of blood oxygen (SO₂) and partial pressure of oxygen (PO₂) before and after treatment, with term infants serving as the control. A comparative analyses of the serum level of bilirubin, SO₂ and PO₂ were carried out in the premature infants with birth weight <1500 g suffering apneic syndrome or not on the first and third days after birth.
Results:
Of the premature and term infants with apnea and birth weight <1500 g, 92.5% and 70.00% showed increased serum level of indirect bilirubin (IBIL), respectively. The infants with birth weight <1500 g who presented the syndrome of apnea on the first day after birth had significantly higher levels of IBIL than those without an apparent syndrome of apnea. A three-day conventional therapy resulted in an obvious improvement of apneic syndrome and lowered bilirubin level.
Conclusion:
Increased bilirubin level can be one of the reasons for the development of apnea in premature infants, and therapies for reducing bilirubin level can ameliorate the syndrome of apnea.
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