Moderate hyperbilirubinemia does not influence the behavior of jaundiced infants

Several recent reports have described short-term effects of moderate hyperbilirubinemia, and have questioned the treatment protocols of neonatal jaundice. However, most of these studies were not designed to investigate the effects of hyperbilirubinemia per se and could have been influenced by phototherapy. We have evaluated with the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Scale 17 moderately jaundiced term 3-day-old infants (mean bilirubin level 10.6 mg/100 ml, range 8.4-14.3) not treated with phototherapy and 17 not jaundiced matched subjects; 14 jaundiced 4-day-old subjects (mean bilirubin level 10.4 mg/100 ml, range 8.4-12.9) and 14 not jaundiced matched subjects; 10 ex-jaundiced 1-month-old infants (mean bilirubin level 11.5 mg/100 ml, range 9.1-15.9) and 10 matched not jaundiced infants. No differences were found between jaundiced infants and not jaundiced infants. Our data indicate that moderate levels of hyperbilirubinemia not treated with phototherapy do not influence neonatal behavior. Hence, more aggressive treatment is not justified, at least in term infants.