Cord Blood Albumin as a Predictor of Neonatal Jaundice

Abstract

Background and Aim: Bilirubin can have a toxic effect on the brain, so newborns must be carefully checked to identify those who may develop  significant hyperbilirubinemia and bilirubin encephalopathy (kernicterus). The study aimed to determine if cord blood albumin could be utilized to predict  the onset of significant newborn jaundice in healthy-term babies.

Patients and Methods: A cohort study was carried out in AL‑Zahraa teaching hospital in AL‑Najaf city during the period from January 1 to November 1,  2020. A randomized 100 full-term healthy neonates were enrolled. A blood sample was drawn by milking the cord and sent for serum albumin estimation.  Patients were then followed up on the third and fifth days of life for total serum bilirubin (TSB).

Results: Out of 100 healthy-term neonates  that were included in this study, 60 of them had low cord blood albumin (<2.8 g/dl), and 40 of them had normal cord blood albumin (≥2.8 g/dl) with an  age range of 1–5 days. There is a statistically significant difference between low cord blood albumin and significant neonatal jaundice on the third day  with a 5 times more risk of developing significant jaundice than neonates with normal cord blood albumin.

Conclusion: Cord blood albumin levels are  sensitive to predicting subsequent neonatal jaundice in the healthy term newborn.