Weight loss and hypernatremia in breast-fed babies: frequency in neonates with non-hemolytic jaundice.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine what proportion of newborns admitted with idiopathic non-hemolytic hyperbilirubinemia exhibit severe weight loss and hypernatremia.


METHODS
The prospective study involved 115 infants >48 h old who were admitted with jaundice between July 2002 and July 2003, and had unconjugated bilirubin levels >12 mg/dL. Premature babies (gestational age <37 weeks) and those with hemolytic jaundice and other pathologic causes of non-hemolytic jaundice were excluded. Postnatal age (days) at admission, bodyweight at admission, weight change since birth (percentage weight loss calculated at admission) and mode of feeding (breast-feeding, formula feeding, mixed feeding) were recorded. Severe weight loss was defined in babies who showed >10% weight loss or had not regained enough to reach birthweight by postnatal day 10. Serum Na levels and breast-milk Na levels were also measured.


RESULTS
Twenty-eight (33%) of the 86 newborns with idiopathic hyperbilirubinemia in the study exhibited severe weight loss. Almost all the 86 babies were exclusively breast-fed, and 10 babies (12%) had severe weight loss combined with hypernatremia. The group with severe weight loss and hypernatremia had higher breast-milk Na levels than the other infants.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that a large proportion of babies with non-hemolytic jaundice have severe weight loss, and that breast-fed newborns with the combination of weight loss and hypernatremia may present with non-hemolytic jaundice.
Tarcan
Aylin
A
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey. aylint@baskent-ank.edu.tr
Tiker
Filiz
F
Vatandaş
Nilgün Salk
NS
Haberal
Ayşegül
A
Gürakan
Berkan
B
D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006955:Hypernatremia / Q000150:complications*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015431:Weight Loss