Influence of the Inherited Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency on the Appearance of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia in Southern Croatia

BACKGROUND: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is a common clinical manifestation of the inherited glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the inherited G6PD deficiency on the appearance of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in southern Croatia. METHODS: The fluorescent spot test (FST) was used in a retrospective study to screen blood samples of 513 male children who had neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, of unknown cause, higher than 240 μmol/L. Fluorescence readings were performed at the beginning and at the fifth and tenth minute of incubation and were classified into three groups bright fluorescence (BF), weak fluorescence (WF) and no fluorescence (NF). Normal samples show bright fluorescence. All NF and WF samples at the fifth minute were quantitatively measured using the spectrophotometric method. RESULTS: Bright fluorescence was present in 461 patients (89.9%) at the fifth minute. The remaining 52 (10.1%) were quantitatively estimated using the spectrophotometric method. G6PD deficiency was observed in 38 patients (7.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence rate of G6PD deficiency among male newborns with hyperbilirubinemia in southern Croatia is significantly higher (p < 0.01) compared with the previously reported prevalence rate among male in general population of southern Croatia (0.75%). We recommend FST to be performed in hyperbilirubinemic newborns in southern Croatia.