Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
06:27

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates

Published on: December 31, 2015

8.6K

Unbound bilirubin measurements by a novel probe in preterm infants

Thomas Hegyi1, Alan Kleinfeld2, Andrew Huber2

  • 1a Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School New Brunswick , New Brunswick , NJ , USA.

The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine : the Official Journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians
|March 6, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Free bilirubin levels in preterm infants are highly variable and frequently exceed dangerous thresholds. Measuring free bilirubin, not just total bilirubin, is crucial for assessing neurotoxicity risk in newborns.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Hyperbilirubinemia affects over 80% of newborns, posing a risk of neurological damage, particularly in preterm infants.
  • Current assessment relies on total serum bilirubin (TSB), but free bilirubin (Bf) levels are more accurate predictors of neurotoxicity.
  • Understanding Bf dynamics is critical for timely and effective intervention in neonatal jaundice.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate free bilirubin (Bf) levels in preterm infants during the first week of life.
  • To determine the frequency of Bf levels exceeding established neurotoxic thresholds.
  • To evaluate the relationship between Bf, total serum bilirubin (TSB), and gestational age.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 130 preterm infants (500-2000g birth weight; 23-34 weeks gestation).
  • Measured Bf using the BL22P1B11-Rh fluorescent sensor and TSB via standard methods.
  • Calculated bilirubin-albumin dissociation constants (Kd) and analyzed hearing screening outcomes based on gestational age.

Main Results:

  • Mean Bf was 13.6 ± 9.0 nM, with significant variability observed.
  • A substantial proportion of Bf measurements surpassed reported neurotoxic thresholds.
  • The correlation between Bf and TSB was weak (r²=0.17) and diminished at high Bf levels. Infants <28 weeks gestation had higher rates of hearing screening failure.

Conclusions:

  • Free bilirubin levels in preterm infants are highly variable in the first week of life.
  • A significant percentage of preterm infants exhibited Bf levels above neurotoxic thresholds.
  • These findings underscore the importance of monitoring Bf for accurate risk assessment of bilirubin neurotoxicity in vulnerable newborns.
Abstract

Keywords:
Unbound bilirubinhearingpremature infant

More Related Videos

Non-invasive Optical Measurement of Cerebral Metabolism and Hemodynamics in Infants11:39

Non-invasive Optical Measurement of Cerebral Metabolism and Hemodynamics in Infants

Published on: March 14, 2013

21.1K
Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs08:58

Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs

Published on: October 31, 2025

670

Related Concept Videos

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
328
Labeling DNA Probes03:31

Labeling DNA Probes

DNA probes are fragments of DNA labeled with a reporter tag to enable their detection or purification. The resulting labeled DNA probes can then hybridize to target nucleic acid sequences through complementary base-pairing, and may be used to recover or identify these regions.
Radioisotopes, fluorophores, or small molecule binding partners like biotin or digoxigenin, are the most widely used reporter tags for labeling DNA probes. These labels can be attached to the probe DNA molecule via...
9.5K
Measures of Central Tendency02:16

Measures of Central Tendency

The "center" of a data set is also a way of describing location. The two most widely used measures of the "center" of the data are the mean (average) and the median. The words "mean" and "average" are often used interchangeably. The substitution of one word for the other is common practice. The technical term is "arithmetic mean" and "average" is technically a center location. However, in practice among non-statisticians,...
21.5K
Measurement: Standard Units03:38

Measurement: Standard Units

Every measurement provides three kinds of information: the size or magnitude of the measurement (a number), a standard of comparison for the measurement (a unit), and an indication of the uncertainty of the measurement. While the number and unit are explicitly represented when a quantity is written, the uncertainty is an aspect of the errors in the measurement results.
82.3K
Measuring Reaction Rates03:09

Measuring Reaction Rates

Polarimetry finds application in chemical kinetics to measure the concentration and reaction kinetics of optically active substances during a chemical reaction. Optically active substances have the capability of rotating the plane of polarization of linearly polarized light passing through them—a feature called optical rotation. Optical activity is attributed to the molecular structure of substances. Normal monochromatic light is unpolarized and possesses oscillations of the electrical...
31.4K
Uncertainty in Measurement: Significant Figures03:34

Uncertainty in Measurement: Significant Figures

All the digits in a measurement, including the uncertain last digit, are called significant figures or significant digits. Note that zero may be a measured value; for example, if a scale that shows weight to the nearest pound reads “140,” then the 1 (hundreds), 4 (tens), and 0 (ones) are all significant (measured) values.
84.1K