Hyperbilirubinemia In Newborn Infants Research Articles

ASSOCIATION OF A VARIANT LIPASE IN HUMAN MILK WITH PROLONGED NEONATAL JAUNDICE

Human milk samples that inhibit billrubin-UDP-glucuronyl transferase activity in vitro have been associated with prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in newborn infants. 1/178 milk samples collected at random inhibited the enzyme as compared to 7/15 suspected samples. The non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) content of five inhibitory milks (27.6 ± 4.9 mM) differed from control samples (12.3 ± 5.5 mM, p<0.05). This is in agreement with Bevan and Holton (Clin Chlm Acta, 1972). The concentration of each fatty acid measured by GLC was higher in inhibitory milks. The lipase activity of 124 milk samples collected from volunteers on day 3 or 4 of lactation (control group) was compared with that of 8 samples from mothers of infants with prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia (jaundiced group). The lipase assays were performed in duplicate using tributyrin as substrate with and without sodium taurocholate (TC) in the incubation mixture. Results as follows: Agarose gel electrophoresis of milk proteins showed a difference in mobility between lipases from normal and abnormal milk. Thus, a lipase with abnormally high activity and variant electrophoretic mobility appears to be the cause of increased concentrations of NEFA in the abnormal breast milks.

Three Years Experience in Preventing Severe Hyperbilirubinemia in Newborn Infants with Erythrocyte G-6-PD Deficiency

Prophylactic treatment with barbituric acid has been made for preventing severe hyperbilirubinemia in G-6-PD deficient newborn infants. In 17 out of 46 untreated and in 7 out of 171 treated cases exchange transfusions were needed since the biliriibin serum level exceeded 18 mg/100 ml. These data show that this prevention can be useful in areas, such as Sardinia, where the incidence of G-6-PD deficiency is very high. It has been further demonstrated that this particular form of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is not due to increased red cell destruction.

Fffect of Synthetized &beta; 1-24 ACTH on Idiopathic Hyperbilirubinemia in Newborn Infants

Fffect of Synthetized &beta; 1-24 ACTH on Idiopathic Hyperbilirubinemia in Newborn Infants

Transplacental Passage of Vitamin K Analogue

In the March issue of Pediatrics (23:553, 1959), Lucey and Dolan reported an interesting study of hyperbilirubinemia in newborn infants associated with the administration of a vitamin K analogue to the mothers. These authors hypothesized that the vitamin K analogue passed through the placenta and had a hepatotoxic effect on the newborn infants. In support of this concept, we have obtained evidence suggesting that a synthetic vitamin K analogue given to a mother prepartum may pass across the placenta and become incorporated into the tissues of the newborn infant. This observation was made fortuitously during a study of adrenal corticosteroids in adrenal tissue from the human newborn (Helvet. paediat. acta, 12:147, 1957). Analyses were made by paper chromatographic techniques on adrenal tissue obtained at necropsy of 12 infants, 9 of whom were less than 11 days old.