ACCURACY OF TRANSCUTANEOUS BILIRUBIN MEASUREMENTS DURING PHOTOTHERAPY IN JAUNDICED PRETERM NEONATES

Abstract

Aim: It is very difcult to nd veins and also seems unethical to withdraw blood daily in a preterm baby for the monitoring of jaundice during the course of phototherapy. So it becomes essential that we nd out a method which is non-invasive and at the same time accurate to assess jaundice. Jaundice is the most common morbidity in the rst week of life, reported in 60% of term, 80% of preterm (1, 2) & also being the commonest cause of readmission. Materials and Method: Study was planned to assess the accuracy of transcutaneous bilirubin in comparison to total serum bilirubin in premature jaundiced neonates of gestational age (28-32 weeks v/s 32-37 weeks) during phototherapy. Result: Study has demonstrated reliability of TCB measurements in preterm infants during phototherapy. Gestational age, comorbidities and risk factors for jaundice did not inuence the correlation. Summary: This study reveals that Transcutaneous Bilirubin Estimation by bilirubin meter can be used as a non-invasive method for monitoring of jaundice treatment during phototherapy in preterm neonates.