title: Increased incidence of hyperbilirubinaemia in 'unchallenged' glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in term Saudi newborns.
abstract: The incidence of severe hyperbilirubinaemia was significantly higher among the G6PD-deficient Saudi infants born at term than in non-deficient babies (34% vs 9%) (p less than 0.005). No apparent offending factors were detected in either the babies or their mothers. All babies who developed hyperbilirubinaemia did so during the 1st week of life. The highest mean bilirubin level for all jaundiced G6PD-deficient babies was recorded on the 4th postnatal day. Although the incidence of severe hyperbilirubinaemia among our neonates was relatively high, only two of them (7%), a boy and a girl, required exchange transfusions. Five of 29 jaundiced babies with G6PD deficiency were readmitted after discharge because of significant jaundice. One required exchange transfusion. Since G6PD deficiency seems to be a relatively common cause of neonatal jaundice in Saudi newborns, early detection of this enzymopathy by cord blood screening is justified to avoid morbidity and deaths.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, King Fahad National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Yaish
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Niazi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: al Shaalan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000201:enzymology; D005955:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology