Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency among neonates with jaundice in Africa; systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a genetic disorder caused by a structural abnormality in the enzyme. G6PD deficiency is most prevalent among African, Asian, and Mediterranean people. This study aimed to investigate how prevalent G6PD deficiency is in African neonates with jaundice. METHODS: The public sources, such as PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Africa Journal Online were searched for articles that reported the prevalence of G6PD deficiency published before March 21st, 2022. The Joanna Briggs Institute’s (JBI) critical assessment checklist was used to evaluate the quality of individual studies. STATA-17 was used to do the statistical analysis. The pooled prevalence of G6PD deficiency in neonates with jaundice in Africa was calculated using a forest plot and a random effects model. I(2) statistics and Galbraith plots were used to assess heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and Egger’s statistical test. RESULTS: Ten studies involving 1555 neonates with jaundice were involved in the study. G6PD deficiency was prevalent in 24.60% of African neonates with jaundice (95% CI:12.47–36.74) with considerable heterogeneity (I(2) = 100%). Nigerian neonates with jaundice had the highest G6PD deficiency (49.67%), whereas South Africans had the lowest (3.14%). CONCLUSION: G6PD deficiency has been implicated in a significant portion of African neonates with jaundice, notwithstanding the need for greater research on predisposing variables from other countries. Therefore, it should be thought of performing screening and diagnostic laboratory tests for G6PD deficiency.