title: Hyperbilirubinemia in healthy neonates with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.
abstract: A cohort study was carried out to assess the association between glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, diagnosed by quantitative enzyme assay, and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, defined as serum total bilirubin >/=15 mg/dl, in the well-baby nursery of Chang Gung Children's Hospital. Among 42,110 inborn infants, 757 male (3.54%) and 326 female (1.57%) newborns were G6PD-deficient. Compared to the occurrence of hyperbilirubinemia in G6PD-normal newborns (1.41% in male, 1.44% in female) in the well-baby nursery, a significantly higher incidence was observed in both G6PD-deficient male (11.36%) and female (7.06%) newborns. Further analyses demonstrated that the enzyme activity of G6PD in G6PD-deficient male newborns with hyperbilirubinemia (1.56+/-1.37 U/g Hb) were significantly lower than the subjects without hyperbilirubinemia (2.01+/-1.7 U/g Hb). No significant difference was observed in G6PD-deficient female newborns with hyperbilirubinemia (6.91+/-2.76 U/g Hb) compared to those without hyperbilirubinemia (7.81+/-2.84 U/g Hb). These data suggest that the G6PD-deficient neonates are at increased risk for hyperbilirubinemia even in the nursery free from agents that can potentially cause hemolysis to G6PD-deficient red cells. The lower G6PD enzyme activity was associated with the neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in G6PD-deficient male neonates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, 5 Fu-Shin Street, Kueishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Hao
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Yi-Hung
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Rey-In
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Lien
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D005955:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase