Evaluation of the Sodium Serum Level in Infants with Jaundice

Abstract

Background: Inadequate milk intake during the first year of neonate’s life can result in weight loss, severe hyperbilirubinemia, and sometimes hypernatremia. In this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between neonatal weight loss and hypernatremia in term breastfed infants with idiopathic jaundice, as well as the necessity of sodium concentration measurement in newborns with idiopathic jaundice via weight loss measurement. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we examined 273 infants with jaundice of unknown etiology at Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, in years 2008-2012. The study sample consisted of 226 infants in the control group (serum sodium concentration

Keywords

• jaundice
• hypernatremia
• weight loss
• dehydration
• neonatal risk factors