NEONATAL HYPERBILIRUBINAEMIA SECONDARY TO ERYTHORCYTEGLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENEASE DEFICIENCY

This study was conducted in the special care baby unit of Khyber Teaching hospital, Peshawar form July 1998 to June 1999. During his period about 200 newborn babies with hyprbilirubinaemia were studied for the etiological causes. All were full term. Their age ranged form 1 to 7 days. Out of these 200 jaundice babies 26(13%) were found to be deficient in G6PD enzyme. The sex ration was M:F 23:3 (88.5% and 11.5%) respectively. Age of appearance of jaundice varied from Ist 24 hours of life upta 5 days (mean 2 ¥2 days). Mean serum bilirubin level was 18.7mg%. Seventeen (65%) babies developed severe hyperbilirubinaemia (SBR level more than 20mg%) and were given exchange blood transfusion. All of the G6PD deficient babies received phototherapy. Two babies (8%) developed bilirubin encephalopathy. Average hospital stay was 7 days. Phototherapy and exchange blood transfusion are effective in reducing the serum indirect bilirubin levels but once kernicterus develops, no treatment can reverse it Therefore all jaundiced newborn babies should be screened for G6PD deficiency to reduce the immediate risk of bilirubin encephalopathy and later on of haemolysis.