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Updated: Sep 30, 2025
Biochemical Measurement of Neonatal Hypoxia
Published on: August 24, 2011
Comparison between the Transcutaneous and Total Serum Bilirubin Measurement in Malay Neonates with Neonatal Jaundice
Mazrah Mohamed1, Nor Rosidah Ibrahim1,2, Noraida Ramli1,2
1Department of Paediatrics, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
Background:
This study aims to investigate the reliability of the Dräger Jaundice Meter JM-105 for the screening of neonatal jaundice in Malay neonates.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in a university hospital involving 130 jaundiced neonates requiring serum bilirubin determination from day 2 to day 7 of life.
Results:
The mean total serum bilirubin (TSB) was 232 μmol/L, whereas the mean transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measured at the forehead and sternum were 222 μmol/L and 223 μmol/L, respectively. Further, TcB underestimates TSB with a mean difference of 10.10 μmol/L at the forehead and 9.27 μmol/L at the sternum. A positive linear relationship was observed between TSB with TcB forehead (r = 0.82) and TcB sternum (r = 0.80). A good discriminations ability was observed for both the TcB forehead (receiver operating characteristics [ROC] curve = 89.8%) and sternum (ROC curve = 89.7%) at a TSB level of 205 μmol/L. The sensitivity ranges from 84.4% to 85.3%, while the specificity ranges from 77.4% to 76.4%.
Conclusion:
Our study demonstrates a strong linear relationship and good diagnostic accuracy of TcB values compared to TSB values. To conclude, TcB measured at the forehead or sternum is a good alternative as a non-invasive screening tool for non-severe hyperbilirubinemia in Malay neonates.
