Background: Jaundice is the most common clinical sign in neonatal medicine. Phototherapy is the most commonly used intervention to treat and prevent severe hyperbilirubinemia. Zinc has a vital role in maintenance of cell functions, protein synthesis, and immune-functions.
Objective: To study the effect of phototherapy on zinc status in term neonates with indirect hyperbilirubinemia.
Patients and methods: This was a prospective study carried out on 50 term neonates with indirect hyperbilirubinemia in neonatal intensive care unit at Damietta Al- Azhar University Hospital during the period from February 2019 to February 2020. Total serum zinc was measured before and after phototherapy.
Results: About 26 (52%) were males and 24 (48%) were females. The mean zinc levels before and after phototherapy showed no statistically significant difference. There were no statistically significant difference in total serum bilirubin (TSB) level at admission and after 12 hrs following admission but there were statistically significant differences after 24 hrs and at discharge. However, the majority of neonates with hyperbilirubinemia were deficient in zinc level.
Conclusion: Phototherapy has no effect on serum zinc level. However, zinc supplementation encouraged in cases with neonatal jaundice as they usually have zinc deficiency.