Effect of Synbiotic on the Treatment of Jaundice in Full Term Neonates: A Randomized Clinical Trial / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

PURPOSE: Jaundice accounts for most hospital admissions in the neonatal period. Nowadays, in addition to phototherapy, other auxiliary methods are used to reduce jaundice and the length of hospitalization. This study aimed to investigate the effect of probiotics on the treatment of hyper-bilirubinemia in full-term neonates. METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial, 83 full-term neonates, who were admitted to the hospital to receive phototherapy in the first 6 months of 2015, were randomly divided into two groups: synbiotic (SG, n=40) and control (CG, n=43). Both groups received phototherapy but the SG also received 5 drops/day of synbiotics. Serum bilirubin, urine, stool, feeding frequency, and weight were measured daily until hospital discharge. A p-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean total serum bilirubin in the SG was lower than that in the CG (9.38±2.37 and 11.17±2.60 mg/dL, respectively). The urine and stool frequency in the SG was significantly higher than that in the CG (p<0.05). The duration of hospitalization in the SG was shorter than that in the CG. CONCLUSION: Use of synbiotics as an adjuvant therapy had a significant treatment effect on jaundice in full-term neonates. Further studies including larger samples with long follow-up periods are essential to confirm the benefits of routine use of synbiotics in neonatal patients with jaundice.

Pulse Oximetry as a Screening Tool to Detect Hypoxia Associated with Early-onset Sepsis in Asymptomatic Newborns: A Feasibility Study in a Low-income Country.

Aims: i) To assess the feasibility of using pulse oximetry as a screening tool in lowincome countries to detect hypoxemia associated with early-onset sepsis in asymptomatic newborns. ii) To evaluate the acceptability of pulse oximetry screening to mothers and healthcare professionals. Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Place and Duration of Study: Saint Francis Referral Hospital, Ifakara, Tanzania between January and March 2013. Methodology: All eligible asymptomatic newborns of more than 33 weeks gestational age born during the study period were screened on two occasions using pulse oximetry. Newborns with oxygen saturations below predefined thresholds were test positive. We recorded the proportion of eligible newborns screened, time taken for the test and the acceptability of pulse oximetry use to mothers and healthcare professionals. The rates of hypoxaemia and clinical diagnosis of sepsis in asymptomatic newborns were evaluated. Results: A total of 316 asymptomatic newborns were screened, of which eighteen (5.7%) were classified as test positive. Clinical examination led to the diagnosis of sepsis in 41 newborns (13%), including eight newborns who tested positive with pulse oximetry screening. Mothers (n=50) and healthcare professionals (n=18) were predominantly satisfied with screening. Conclusion: It is feasible to evaluate the role of pulse oximetry as a screening tool to detect early-onset sepsis in a low-income setting. The test is acceptable to mothers and healthcare professionals. Further studies are needed to assess the accuracy of the test in detecting sepsis in asymptomatic newborns and its clinical impact on neonatal health.