Some risk factors of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Egypt

Abstract EN

Background: Neonatal jaundice is a common health problem and is expected to be seen in approximately 60%– 80% of healthy newborns.

Objective: To generate national parameters for neonatal jaundice and its determinants in Egypt.

To provide the first meta-analysis of Egyptian research regarding some risk factors of neonatal jaundice among Egyptian neonates.

Methodology: Type of the study: Meta-analysis (type 3).We systematically searched electronic university library council data base (eulc .edu.eg) for thesis published.

We included only studies that controlled for the effects of confounding variables in determining some risk factors for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

We conducted metaanalysis of the eligible studies and computed risk estimates with random effects models.

The researcher reviewed the Egyptian theses, papers, journals, in English language, searching for studies published from January 2005 to the end of December, 2018.

Meta-analysis was done using MedCalc software ver.

12.7.7.0.

Results: Among 32 studies involving 3458 neonates from 2005 to 2018, were finally included, the overall pooled causes of jaundice among Egyptian neonates were: ABO incompatibility represented 36.3%, Rh-incompatibility 16.29%, cephalhematoma 6.52%, G6PD deficiency 4.14% and other causes 55.3%.

Jaundice treated by conventional phototherapy with 963 cases represented 87.34%.

Jaundice treated by exchange transfusion represented 16.62% of cases.

Conclusion: Phototherapy is the most continent and safe therapeutic method which is used in the first step of treatment of unconjugated neonatal jaundice.

It lowers the levels of serum bilirubin and decreases the need for the potentially more invasive therapeutic approach, exchange transfusion.