Follow-Up of Neuropsychological Development During the First Postnatal Year in Infants with Neonatal Jaundice

It is believed that 98% of newborns have elevated serum bilirubin levels, but only about 60% have clinic of jaundice. Severe late neurological effects should not be observed if the serum bilirubin levels are well controlled. To follow-up the motor and mental development during the first year of life in infants suffered from neonatal jaundice. The study includes 92 term babies, divided in four groups: A – without jaundice, B – with jaundice treated by phototherapy in the 1st week , C - intensive jaundice during the first 14 postnatal days , D – intensive prolonged jaundice . Studied indicators: birth weight , gestational age, sex, delivery mode, Apgar score, maternal age and education, domicile, bilirubin serum levels during hospital stay, transcutaneous bilirubin levels ambulatory. Neuro-psychological development was assessed monthly until the 1-year-age.We found that groups were comparable across the all indicators except for residence, with significant difference for groups B and D. There was a statistically significant development delay in the Group D compared to the other three groups in the all studied age periods. All the cases of prolonged jaundice were resolved until the age of 3rd month. According to our data, prolonged jaundice compromises the first-year-psychomotor- development of the infants.