Neurodevelopment after moderate hyperbilirubinemia at term

<p>BACKGROUND: The aim of this work was to investigate in a prospective study whether moderate hyperbilirubinemia in healthy term neonates is associated with an increase of minor neurological dysfunction (MND) and behavioral problems up to 18 mo.</p><p>METHODS: We enrolled 43 healthy term infants with a bilirubin level >= 220 mu mol/l (BILI group) at 72-96 h postnatally at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), including eight referrals for hyperbilirubinemia. Seventy healthy term infants born at the UMCG with bilirubin level</p><p>RESULTS: Rates of MND in BILI and COMP groups were similar at all ages. However, bilirubin levels of >= 300 mu mol/l (n = 10) were associated with an increased risk of complex MND (odds ratio: 4.21; 95% confidence interval: 1.02-17.37). Neonatally, BILI infants were more often lethargic than COMP infants (odds ratio: 3.54; 95% confidence interval: 1.32-9.51); at 18 mo, they had higher hyperactivity scores (effect: 0.32; 95% confidence interval: 0.08-0.56).</p><p>CONCLUSION: Occurrence of complex MND at 18 mo in infants with moderate hyperbilirubinemia was not different from that in comparison infants, but bilirubin level >= 300 was associated with an increased risk of complex MND. This study also suggests that minor behavioral effects of moderate hyperbilirubinemia cannot be excluded.</p>