Alkaline phosphatase and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia – correlations and cutoff values

Abstract

Introduction. Since the second half of the eighteenth century, neonatal jaundice has been a widely debated topic and the first records on neonatal jaundice were made in antiquity. Although it is a common pathology, in some cases it can be severe, leading to bilirubin encephalopathy. In recent years, many studies have tried to correlate and to identify predictive factors for the occurrence of severe hyperbilirubinemia. The most recent associations have been made with the level of alkaline phosphatase because it is a ubiquitous enzyme with an important role in hepatic metabolism. Material and method. A study on a group of 250 full-term, normal-weight newborns without associated pathologies was performed. The aim of the study was to determine the alkaline phosphatase values at birth, transcutaneous bilirubin values at 24 and 48 hours after delivery and the need of phototherapy as treatment. Results and conclusions. A high statistical correlation was demonstrated between elevated alkaline phosphatase values, measured in the umbilical cord blood and neonatal jaundice. A cutoff value for alkaline phosphatase correlated with the need for phototherapy was also determined.

Keywords

• neonatal jaundice
• alkaline phosphatase
• hyperbilirubinemia