Incidence and risk factors for neonatal jaundice in a teaching hospital in Northern Ghana

Neonatal jaundice (NNJ) is a well-known condition that affects neonatal health outcomes, especially in the early days of life and can be life-threatening if left unattended. Clinically, NNJ can be categorized based on the level of serum bilirubin such as normal, mild, moderate and severe jaundice. These are often characterised by elevation of the bilirubin and clinical presentations such the discoloration of the skin and an increased risk of complications. The study therefore estimated the incidence and risk factors for NNJ.

The study was conducted prospectively between January and August, 2021 in the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana. Using a quantitative approach to research, a survey on NNJ was conducted among mothers with neonates, an assessment of bilirubin levels among neonates using transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) device and a review of neonatal health records were conducted. The data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25.

Mother-neonate pair consisted of 384 study participants. Most of the neonates were in the < 72 h age category 205(53.4%) with females having the highest representation 214(55.7%). Mothers age varied between 19 and 42 years with a mean age of 29.36 (SD ± 4.588). The study found 284 (74.0%) neonates with jaundice and 100(26.0%) without jaundice. Among the jaundiced neonates, 274 (71.4%) were mild jaundice and 10 (2.6%) had moderate jaundice. The study found significant association between NNJ and birth weight (p = 0.008).

The incidence of NNJ was found to be high and ranged between mild and moderate jaundice. Important modifiable risk factors such as mother being a diabetic and pregnancy related infections should be given considerable attention during antenatal care visits. Other factors that influence birth weight should equally be addressed to minimize the risk of NNJ. The study recommends the adaption of predischarge screening of all neonates, using the TcB as a cost-effective way of early detection of NNJ in healthcare facilities in Ghana.