{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41555"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41555","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Incidence, aetiology and short term outcomes of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia, in term infants born in the West Metro area of Cape Town, South Africa between 2019 and 2020","abstract":"Introduction: Extreme levels of bilirubin in the newborn is a major cause of lifelong neurodevelopmental impairment, which places a financial burden on healthcare resources and caregivers. Objective: To determine the incidence, aetiology and short term outcomes of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia in term infants born in a resource-limited setting. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study looking at term neonates with a birth weight ≥ 2500g, born in the Western health subdistrict of Cape Town, South Africa, between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020, who were exposed to a serum bilirubin level of ≥ 430 μmol/L in the first week of life and received care in the public health system. Results: Extreme hyperbilirubinaemia occurred in 59 term infants. The incidence was 74 cases per 100 000 (<0.01%) live births equating to 1 case in every 1345 live births. The cause of hyperbilirubinaemia was identified in 51 of the cases (86%), the most common being ABO incompatibility (31/51, 61%), followed by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (11/51, 22%). Twelve infants (20 %) underwent an exchange transfusion. Six infants were encephalopathic. Forty-seven infants (80%) were readmitted after initial post-natal discharge, with a mean age of readmission of 113 hours old (SD 31 hours). Conclusion: The incidence of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia in the Western health subdistrict of Cape Town is higher than in high-income settings. Further work should focus on training of healthcare workers and education of caregivers, for the early detection of significant hyperbilirubinaemia to prevent neurological complications caused by bilirubin toxicity.","abstract_html":"Introduction: Extreme levels of bilirubin in the newborn is a major cause of lifelong neurodevelopmental impairment, which places a financial burden on healthcare resources and caregivers. Objective: To determine the incidence, aetiology and short term outcomes of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia in term infants born in a resource-limited setting. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study looking at term neonates with a birth weight ≥ 2500g, born in the Western health subdistrict of Cape Town, South Africa, between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020, who were exposed to a serum bilirubin level of ≥ 430 μmol/L in the first week of life and received care in the public health system. Results: Extreme hyperbilirubinaemia occurred in 59 term infants. The incidence was 74 cases per 100 000 (&lt;0.01%) live births equating to 1 case in every 1345 live births. The cause of hyperbilirubinaemia was identified in 51 of the cases (86%), the most common being ABO incompatibility (31/51, 61%), followed by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (11/51, 22%). Twelve infants (20 %) underwent an exchange transfusion. Six infants were encephalopathic. Forty-seven infants (80%) were readmitted after initial post-natal discharge, with a mean age of readmission of 113 hours old (SD 31 hours). Conclusion: The incidence of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia in the Western health subdistrict of Cape Town is higher than in high-income settings. Further work should focus on training of healthcare workers and education of caregivers, for the early detection of significant hyperbilirubinaemia to prevent neurological complications caused by bilirubin toxicity.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Coraizin, Carin"],"institution":"Department of Paediatrics and Child Health","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Joolay, Yaseen"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025","date_published":"2025","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:00Z","subjects":["Paediatrics and Child Health"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41555","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Joolay, Yaseen"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Coraizin, Carin"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-08-05T11:44:24Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-08-05T11:44:24Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Paediatrics and Child Health"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis / Dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters","MMed"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Paediatrics and Child Health"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41555"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Introduction: Extreme levels of bilirubin in the newborn is a major cause of lifelong neurodevelopmental impairment, which places a financial burden on healthcare resources and caregivers. Objective: To determine the incidence, aetiology and short term outcomes of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia in term infants born in a resource-limited setting. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study looking at term neonates with a birth weight ≥ 2500g, born in the Western health subdistrict of Cape Town, South Africa, between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020, who were exposed to a serum bilirubin level of ≥ 430 μmol/L in the first week of life and received care in the public health system. Results: Extreme hyperbilirubinaemia occurred in 59 term infants. The incidence was 74 cases per 100 000 (<0.01%) live births equating to 1 case in every 1345 live births. The cause of hyperbilirubinaemia was identified in 51 of the cases (86%), the most common being ABO incompatibility (31/51, 61%), followed by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (11/51, 22%). Twelve infants (20 %) underwent an exchange transfusion. Six infants were encephalopathic. Forty-seven infants (80%) were readmitted after initial post-natal discharge, with a mean age of readmission of 113 hours old (SD 31 hours). Conclusion: The incidence of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia in the Western health subdistrict of Cape Town is higher than in high-income settings. Further work should focus on training of healthcare workers and education of caregivers, for the early detection of significant hyperbilirubinaemia to prevent neurological complications caused by bilirubin toxicity."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Incidence, aetiology and short term outcomes of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia, in term infants born in the West Metro area of Cape Town, South Africa between 2019 and 2020"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Joolay, Yaseen"],"dc:creator":["Coraizin, Carin"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-08-05T11:44:24Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-08-05T11:44:24Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025"],"dc:description.abstract":["Introduction: Extreme levels of bilirubin in the newborn is a major cause of lifelong neurodevelopmental impairment, which places a financial burden on healthcare resources and caregivers. Objective: To determine the incidence, aetiology and short term outcomes of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia in term infants born in a resource-limited setting. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study looking at term neonates with a birth weight ≥ 2500g, born in the Western health subdistrict of Cape Town, South Africa, between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020, who were exposed to a serum bilirubin level of ≥ 430 μmol/L in the first week of life and received care in the public health system. Results: Extreme hyperbilirubinaemia occurred in 59 term infants. The incidence was 74 cases per 100 000 (<0.01%) live births equating to 1 case in every 1345 live births. The cause of hyperbilirubinaemia was identified in 51 of the cases (86%), the most common being ABO incompatibility (31/51, 61%), followed by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (11/51, 22%). Twelve infants (20 %) underwent an exchange transfusion. Six infants were encephalopathic. Forty-seven infants (80%) were readmitted after initial post-natal discharge, with a mean age of readmission of 113 hours old (SD 31 hours). Conclusion: The incidence of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia in the Western health subdistrict of Cape Town is higher than in high-income settings. Further work should focus on training of healthcare workers and education of caregivers, for the early detection of significant hyperbilirubinaemia to prevent neurological complications caused by bilirubin toxicity."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41555"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Paediatrics and Child Health"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:subject":["Paediatrics and Child Health"],"dc:title":["Incidence, aetiology and short term outcomes of extreme hyperbilirubinaemia, in term infants born in the West Metro area of Cape Town, South Africa between 2019 and 2020"],"dc:type":["Thesis / Dissertation"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters","MMed"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:00Z"}