Overview of cases and prevalence of jaundice in neonatal intensive care unit.

ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to know the pattern of jaundice prevalent among the babies admitted at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS). A total of 293 neonates including 201 (68.6%) males and 92 (31.4%) females were admitted over a period of one year (15th June 2001 to 14th June 2002). Prematurity (30.0%), birth asphyxia (29.0%), neonatal septicemia (25.9%) and respiratory distress (23.9%) were the most common reasons for admission to the NICU. There were 42 cases of neonatal jaundice, among which babies born to primigravidae (59.5%), exceeded those born to multigravidae (40.5%). Pathological jaundice was found in 64.3% of the admitted cases of neonatal jaundice. Prematurity (33.3%) and neonatal septicemia (25.9%) were the most common causes of pathological jaundice, while prematurity with neonatal septicemia (14.8%), ABO incompatibility (11.1%), Rh incompatibility (7.4%) and prematurity, neonatal septicemia and ABO incompatibility combined (7.4%) accounted for the remaining cases of jaundice. A more detailed study related to the pathogenesis of jaundice among neonates is needed for the prevention of this disease in them.