Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 29, 2025
06:38
In Vitro Modeling of Down Syndrome Neurogenesis Using Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: March 7, 2025
880
Early Hyperbilirubinemia in Neonates with Down Syndrome
Timothy M Bahr1, Erick Henry2, Whitley Hulse1
1Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT.
The Journal of Pediatrics
|February 5, 2020
Summary
Neonates with Down syndrome have a significantly higher risk of jaundice, requiring more phototherapy and hospital readmissions. Early total serum bilirubin (TSB) assessment is recommended for these infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Genetics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Infants with Down syndrome are at increased risk for certain medical conditions.
- Hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice) is a common neonatal issue, but its prevalence and severity in infants with Down syndrome require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels, phototherapy use, and hospital readmission rates for jaundice in neonates with Down syndrome versus controls.
- To establish reference intervals for TSB in neonates and assess the risk associated with Down syndrome.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study utilizing 15 years of multihospital data.
- Established hourly control reference intervals for initial TSB values.
- Compared TSB levels, phototherapy rates, and readmission rates between 357 neonates with Down syndrome and 377,368 controls.
Main Results:
- Neonates with Down syndrome had 4.7 times the risk of exceeding the 95th percentile TSB interval compared to controls (23.5% vs 5.0%).
- Phototherapy usage was 8.9 times higher in the Down syndrome group (62.2% vs 7.0%).
- Readmission rates for jaundice were 3.6 times higher in neonates with Down syndrome (17.4 vs 4.8 per 1000 live births).
Conclusions:
- Neonates with Down syndrome face a substantial risk of early hyperbilirubinemia.
- Current American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend complete blood count screening for neonates with Down syndrome.
- Assessing total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels in neonates with Down syndrome is also advisable due to their increased risk of jaundice.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
147
In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses...
147
01:15Transcytosis of IgG
3.9K
Transcytosis is the process in which molecules are internalized by endocytosis, transported across the cell, and released through exocytosis from the opposite end of the cell. Molecules such as insulin, immunoglobulins, and certain nutrients are transferred through the recycling endosomes by recycling and transcytosis.
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
3.9K
01:20Inborn Errors of Metabolism
645
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a protein metabolism disorder characterized by high blood levels of the amino acid phenylalanine. This results from a mutation in the gene responsible for phenylalanine hydroxylase, an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine. When this enzyme is deficient, phenylalanine builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, seizures, growth deficiency, and severe mental retardation. An early diagnosis and a diet restricting phenylalanine intake...
645
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
186
Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
186
01:27Glucose Transporters
27.0K
Glucose transporters facilitate the transport of glucose across the cell membrane. In addition to glucose, some glucose transporters can also aid the movement of other hexoses such as fructose, mannose, and galactose.
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
27.0K
01:49Meiosis I
216.9K
Meiosis is a carefully orchestrated set of cell divisions, the goal of which—in humans—is to produce haploid sperm or eggs, each containing half the number of chromosomes present in somatic cells elsewhere in the body. Meiosis I is the first such division, and involves several key steps, among them: condensation of replicated chromosomes in diploid cells; the pairing of homologous chromosomes and their exchange of information; and finally, the separation of homologous chromosomes by...
216.9K