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
type: CreativeWork
description: 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: 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.
author: Coraizin, Carin
language: en
keywords: Paediatrics and Child Health
date published: 2025
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:00Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41555