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Updated: Sep 2, 2025
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Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
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Transcutaneous bilirubin levels in extremely preterm infants less than 30 weeks gestation
Meera N Sankar1, Rangasamy Ramanathan2, Priscilla Joe3
1Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. mnsankar@stanford.edu.
Summary
Transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) effectively screens jaundice in extremely preterm infants. This non-invasive method correlates well with total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels, aiding clinical decisions.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Endocrinology
Background:
- Jaundice is common in preterm infants.
- Accurate bilirubin monitoring is crucial for preventing complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the correlation between transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) and total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels.
- To evaluate TcB as a screening tool in extremely preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Prospective multicenter study.
- Inclusion of infants <30 weeks gestation.
- Comparison of paired TcB and TSB values across various infant characteristics and treatment phases.
Main Results:
- TSB values ranged from 0 to 12.6 mg/dl; TcB values ranged from 0 to 14.2 mg/dl.
- High accuracy in predicting TSB from TcB (TSB = 2.37 + 0.54 * TcB, r = 0.786).
- Good correlation observed across subgroups (gestational age, birth weight, race/ethnicity, age) and during/after phototherapy.
Conclusions:
- TcB is a reliable non-invasive screening tool for jaundice in extremely preterm infants.
- Supports the use of TcB for routine jaundice monitoring in this vulnerable population.
