Background: The most common cause of hospital admission in the first month of life is the neonatal jaundice. Some factors [e.g., prenatal, neonatal factors, maternal factors, and environmental factors (such as zinc) influence the frequency of neonatal jaundice. In terms of neonates, it is proposed that there is a correlation between serum zinc quality and hyperbilirubinemia.
Aim of the work: To evaluate the level of serum zinc in term neonates with indirect hyperbilirubinemia.
Patients and Methods: A case control study carried out at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and pediatric outpatient clinic of New Damietta, Al-Azhar University Hospital, from June 2018 to February 2019. It included 75 neonates with neonatal jaundice as cases group and 75 healthy neonates of matched age and sex as a control group. All were assessed clinically and serum zinc levels were determined and documented.
Results: Level of serum zinc in neonates with non-hemolytic hyperbilirubinemia (103.3±36.56 ug/dl) was significantly lower than healthy neonates without jaundice (128.62 ± 40.83 ug/dl) and zinc deficiency in jaundiced neonates (25.3%) was statistically significant more than healthy neonates) 6.7%). There was no significant relation between the level of serum zinc and other factors like the maternal age, parity, pattern of feeding, gender and weight, but there was significant correlation with maternal zinc intake during pregnancy.
Conclusion: We concluded that serum zinc level in term neonates with neonatal jaundice was statistically significant decreased than healthy term neonates.