Results of bilirubin difference in plasma of newborn with jaundice

Abstract

Background: Determining the level of bilirubin on the skin using a bilimetric device is important for the safe and rapid assessment of neonatal jaundice and early initiation of treatment. Aim: Determine the difference between bilirubin in the skin and plasma of the newborn. Materials and Methods: The study randomly sampled 153 infants with neonatal jaundice over a two-year period of 2018-2020, measured with a bilometer at one point on the skin, and performed a blood test at the same time to determine serum bilirubin. The results of the study were processed using the Stata 16 software. Results: The mean bilirubin measured in the skin of all children in the study was 246±8 mmol / l, and the mean total serum bilirubin was 278.8 µmol/L, which was a statistically significant difference (p=0.005). Compared to the level of bilirubin on the skin, it is 258±8 µmol/L in the forehead, 243±7 µmol/L in the chest, and 238±5 µmol/L in the back, or the highest in the forehead (p=0.001). In the first 30 minutes of life, 46.4% (n=71) of colostrum-promoted infants, 30.7% (n=47) of those who promised 30 minutes to 1 hour, and 22.% (n=35) of those who promised 1 hour later. Dizziness accounted for 4.6% of infants born after 24 hours and contributed to neonatal jaundice (p=0.001). Conclusions: Bilirubin levels in the neonatal skin determined by the bilimeter are on average 30±4.2 µmol/L lower than in serum bilirubin, so it is necessary to determine the bilirubin in the blood if the neonatal jaundice is pathological and the bilometer is high.