Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia associated with Southeast Asian ovalocytosis

We report, herein, an infant who is twin A of a dizygotic twin, with premature birth and both twins having hemoglobin (Hb) E heterozygosity. Twin A who had Southeast Asian ovalocytosis (SAO) developed neonatal jaundice at the age of 2 days and needed phototherapy at the age of 3 days. The microbilirubin level was rapidly rising up to 535.2 micromol/L (31.3 mg/dl) with the hematocrit value of 38% at the age of 4 days prior to exchange blood transfusion. Exchange blood transfusion was done by 220 ml of O, Rh positive packed red blood cell reconstituted with 180 ml of O, Rh positive fresh plasma to lower the bilirubin level. Twin A received phototherapy from about 8 hr prior to exchange blood transfusion until 3 days later. Twin B, who did not have SAO, developed neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and needed only phototherapy. Twin A received a deletion of 27 basepairs in the erythroid band 3 gene and Hb E heterozygosity from his father.