Guidelines on the serum bilirubin concentration for the management of neonatal jaundice and controlled clinical trial of phenobarbital and or phototherapy in reducing neonatal hyperbili-rubinemia

ABSTRACT

We studied the guidelines on the serum bilirubin concentration of 12mg% for the management of neonatal jaundice and compared the effectiveness of oral phenobarbital and continuous phototherapy with singularly phototherapy, in reducing neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in the 100 cases admitted to the department of pediatrics, St. Benedict Hospital from April 1977 to August 1977. The results were as follows; 1. Among the 35 full term normal newborn infants without any risk factors for kernicterus, 14 infants had serum bilirubin concentration below 12mg%. In this group, 5 infants received phototherapy (35.7%). 21 infants had serum bilirubin concentration above 12mg%. In the latter group, 5 infants received phototherapy (71.4%) 2. The mean rate of fall of serum bilirubin per day was 1.81mg% in phototherapy plus phenobarbital groups and 1.57mg% in singularly phototherapy. 3. The mean peak rate of fall of serum bilirubin was 2.28mg% per day in the third to fourth day of phototherapy and phenobarbital groups and 2.76mg% per day in the fourth to fifth day of singularly phototherapy. 4. The mean duration of phototherapy was 74 hours in phototherapy plus phenobarbital groups and 82 hours in singularly phototherapy.