Bilirubin Profiles and Symptomatology in Neonates: Unraveling Gender and Location Specific Trends in Shaheed Benazirabad
Keywords:
Bilirubin, Neonatal jaundice, Hyperbilirubinemia, Gender, Urban, Rural.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the levels of bilirubin in male and female neonatal jaundice patients in both urban and rural areas of the Shaheed Benazirabad district, Sindh, Pakistan.
METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Mother and Child Health Hospital, Shaheed Benazirabad, targeting neonatal patients with bilirubin/jaundice between January and December 2024. A consecutive nonprobability sampling method was used to select 200 patients. Neonates, specially the first and second week of their birth, were included in the study with clear signs of neonatal jaundice. The neonates were included following their parental consent. SPSS and GraphPad Prism software were used for data analysis.
RESULTS: The current study included 200 neonates (136 male, 64 female), of whom 119 were urban and 81 rural. Urban neonates were younger on average (4.57 days) than rural neonates (6.33 days for males, 6.25 days for females). Bilirubin levels significantly differed between rural and urban males. Neonatal jaundice symptoms varied by gender and location, with high-pitched cry most common in urban males and fever in rural males. Phototherapy was the primary treatment, especially in urban males (38). Rural males showed more jaundice symptoms, especially in the eyes, face, and palms. Jaundice was most prevalent in the first week of life, particularly on the palms and soles.
CONCLUSION: This study highlights gender and location disparities in neonatal characteristics, bilirubin levels, and NNJ symptoms and treatments. Phototherapy emerged as the primary treatment, particularly for urban males. Understanding these differences informs effective management strategies for neonatal jaundice.
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