Cord blood -fetoprotein as a predictive index for indirect hyperbilirubinemia in term neonates

Prediction of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is very important for early treatment and prophylaxis of neurologic sequels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive role of umbilical cord -fetoprotein (UCAFP) as a marker of an increased risk for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in full term babies.

Umbilical cord blood was collected from 400 term singleton full term well newborn babies who met our inclusion criteria and stored in -20°C. Those who developed jaundice and admitted for phototherapy (34 newborns: 22 males and 12 females), considered as case group and 31 non-jaundiced infants (13 males and 18 females) gestational age-weight-matched considered as the control group. The serum level of UCAFP was checked in these 65 newborns and was compared between these two groups.

Mean UCAFP in case group was 523.429±174.158 and in control group was 664.548±154.894 μg/L. In the non-jaundiced group, mean UCAFP values was higher than neonate with hyperbilirubinemia (664.548 vs. 523.429μg/L). The mean UCAFP in males was 519.023 μg/L and in females was 531.508 μg/L (p=0.066). Sixty (92.3%) babies delivered by cesarean section (CS) and 5 (7.7%) by normal vaginal delivery (p=0.566).

According to our study, there was no significant positive association between UCAFP and subsequent neonatal indirect hyperbilirubinemia or serum bilirubin level.