Background: Prediction of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is very important for early treatment and prophylaxis of neurologic sequels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive role of umbilical cord -fetoprotein (UCAFP) as a marker of an increased risk for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in full term babies.
Methods: Umbilical cord blood was collected from 400 term singleton full term well newborn babies who met our inclusion criteria and stored in -20°C. Those who developed jaundice and admitted for phototherapy (34 newborns: 22 males and 12 females), considered as case group and 31 non-jaundiced infants (13 males and 18 females) gestational age-weight-matched considered as the control group. The serum level of UCAFP was checked in these 65 newborns and was compared between these two groups.
Results: Mean UCAFP in case group was 523.429±174.158 and in control group was 664.548±154.894 μg/L. In the non-jaundiced group, mean UCAFP values was higher than neonate with hyperbilirubinemia (664.548 vs. 523.429μg/L). The mean UCAFP in males was 519.023 μg/L and in females was 531.508 μg/L (p=0.066). Sixty (92.3%) babies delivered by cesarean section (CS) and 5 (7.7%) by normal vaginal delivery (p=0.566).
Conclusion: According to our study, there was no significant positive association between UCAFP and subsequent neonatal indirect hyperbilirubinemia or serum bilirubin level.
Keywords: Alpha-fetoprotein; Hyperbilirubinemia; Term neonate.