RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Predicting significant hyperbilirubinaemia using birth weight
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
JO Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP F307
OP F309
DO 10.1136/adc.2007.130880
VO 93
IS 4
A1 Flaherman, V J
A1 Ferrara, A
A1 Newman, T B
YR 2008
UL http://fn.bmj.com/content/93/4/F307.abstract
AB Background: A recent study proposed a risk factor scoring system for prediction of hyperbilirubinaemia that assigned increased risk to infants of higher birth weight.Objective: To investigate this novel finding in a large, retrospective cohort analysis.Methods: 105 384 newborns (⩾2000 g and ⩾36 weeks) were analysed, and the effect of higher birth weight on total serum bilirubin (TSB) ⩾342 μmol/l was reported using logistic regression to control for gestational age, scalp injury diagnosis, maternal diabetes, method of delivery and other confounders.Results: The odds ratio for the effect of an additional 500 g of birth weight on TSB ⩾342 μmol/l declined with increasing gestational age from 1.55 (95% CI 1.28 to 1.87) at 36 weeks to 1.30 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.50) at 37 weeks and 1.14 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.29) at 38 weeks. There was no association for infants ⩾39 weeks.Conclusion: Higher birth weight predicts TSB ⩾342 μmol/l in 36–38 week infants, but not in infants ⩾39 weeks. Further research should explore the causal mechanism for the association in less-mature infants.