A Study on Electrolyte Changes in Neonates Receiving Phototherapy for Neonatal Hyperbilirubinaemia

Abstract

Background :

Hyperbilirubinemia is the most common ailment requiring medical attention in newborns. Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia nearly affects 60% of term & 80% of preterm neonates during the first week of life. Neonatal jaundice has much higher incidence in premature babies and often requires therapeutic intervention. Neonatal physiological jaundice could result either due to increased breakdown of fetal erythrocytes or low concentrations of hepatic glucuronyl transferase. Hypocalcaemia is one of the known adverse effects of phototherapy. 90% of the preterm and 75% of the full-term neonates develop hypocalcaemia post phototherapy. We intended to study the effects of photo therapy on serum electrolytes.

Methods :

It is a prospective Hospital based comparison study. Neonates who were born or admitted to VMKV MCH, Salem, a tertiary care center from the month of November 2021 to November 2022 receiving phototherapy for Unconjugated Hyperbilirubinemia after 24 hrs of life without any co- morbidities were studied .

Results :

Serum Potassium and serum sodium levels decrease with increasing duration of phototherapy. The comparative correlation between the preterm and term neonates considering the change in calcium level before and after phototherapy shows more change in values in term neonates.