Incidence of hyperbilirubinemia in breast- vs. formula-fed infants.
A retrospective study of 233 consecutively born full-term infants was performed to determine the effect of several variables on the development of hyperbilirubinemia. Thirty-five (15%) of the infants developed peak bilirubin levels greater than 12 mg/dl in the first week of life. Step-wise multiple regression analysis revealed that breast-feeding was the most predictive of a group of eight variables for the development of hyperbilirubinemia greater than 12 mg/dl. The correlation between type of feeding and hyperbilirubinemia was significant (p less than 0.02). None of the other factors evaluated was significantly associated with hyperbilirubinemia. Breast-fed infants also were found to have a significantly higher incidence of hyperbilirubinemia greater than 15 mg/dl; 12 of 101 (12%) infants compared with 2 of 117 (2%) formula-fed infants (p less than 0.002). This group of infants accounted for the increased incidence of hyperbilirubinemia greater than 12 mg/dl in breast-fed infants. There was no significant correlation between weight loss and development of hyperbilirubinemia in the breast-fed infants.
D001724:Birth Weight; D001835:Body Weight; D001903:Bottle Feeding; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors