Effect of Intravenous Fluid Adjuvant Therapy on Decreasing Serum Bilirubin during Intensive Phototherapy in Healthy Term Neonate with Severe Nonhemolytic Hyperbilirubinemia

BACKGROUND: Phototherapy is the most common form of treatment and prevention of neonatal nonconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. It seems that intravenous fluid therapy as a complementary method of phototherapy can accelerate the healing process in affected infants. This study aimed at investigating intravenous fluid therapy's effect in decreasing serum bilirubin in healthy term neonates with nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemia under intensive phototherapy. METHODS: As many as 160 healthy term infants with severe nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemia and without exclusion criteria were enrolled. Infants were randomized to the two treatment groups (phototherapy alone and combination with intravenous fluid therapy). Serum bilirubin at admission time, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h later were measured. We evaluated decreasing serum bilirubin levels and duration of hospitalization in both groups. RESULTS: In this study, the mean levels of serum bilirubin on admission time, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h after treatment gradually reduced in both groups; still, the decrease was not statistically significant between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous fluids therapy does not have a significant advantage in the process of phototherapy in healthy term neonates with severe nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemia.