Physiologic jaundice in the Nigerian neonate

• Published in: Biology of the neonate Vol. 53; no. 3; p. 132
• Main Authors: Okolo, A A, Omene, J A, Scott-Emuakpor, A B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 1988
• Subjects: Bilirubin - blood; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn - blood; Infant, Newborn - physiology; Infant, Postmature - blood; Infant, Postmature - physiology; Infant, Premature - blood; Infant, Premature - physiology; Infant, Small for Gestational Age - blood; Infant, Small for Gestational Age - physiology; Jaundice, Neonatal - blood; Jaundice, Neonatal - epidemiology; Jaundice, Neonatal - physiopathology; Male; Nigeria; Nigeria
• ISSN: 0006-3126
• DOI: 10.1159/000242773

In the course of a systemic study of physiologic hyperbilirubinaemia, 200 Nigerian newborn infants were evaluated daily over a 12-day period. The pre-term and post-term neonates exhibited a distinct biphasic pattern of hyperbilirubinaemia. Mean peak bilirubin levels of 8.20 mg/dl for the pre-term, 7.15 mg/dl for the post-term and 8.34 for the term were attained on the fourth, third and fifth days, respectively. Term small for gestational age neonates experienced mean peak bilirubin levels of 7.02 mg/dl at the age of 4 days and maintained a sustained elevation for as long as the last day of the study. Higher values of physiologic hyperbilirubinaemia are observed in this study than has been reported for American neonates.