The Role of Umbilical Cord Alpha Fetoprotein as a Screening Tool for Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia

A. Riskin; M. David; B. Peskin; A. Tamir; O. Vafsi; Z. Leibovitz; S. Riskin-Mashiah; N. Israel; R. Merksamer; D. Bader

doi:10.1055/s-2004-820518

American Journal of Perinatology, Table of Contents

Am J Perinatol 2004; 21(2): 93-98
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-820518

The Role of Umbilical Cord Alpha Fetoprotein as a Screening Tool for Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia

A. Riskin¹ ^, ⁵ , M. David² ^, ⁵ , B. Peskin¹ ^, ⁵ , A. Tamir³ ^, ⁵ , O. Vafsi¹ ^, ⁵ , Z. Leibovitz⁴ ^, ⁵ , S. Riskin-Mashiah⁴ ^, ⁵ , N. Israel² ^, ⁵ , R. Merksamer² ^, ⁵ , D. Bader¹ ^, ⁵

¹Department of Neonatology, Haifa, Israel
²Department of Genetical Biochemistry Laboratory in S. Winter Institute of Human Genetics, Haifa, Israel
³Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Lady Davis Carmel Hospital, Haifa, Israel
⁴Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
⁵The B. Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

Abstract

Our aim was to test whether alpha fetoprotein (AFP) might serve as a marker of hepatic immaturity sufficient to predict an increased risk for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (NHB) in term babies. We checked umbilical cord AFP (UC AFP) levels in 174 healthy full-term infants (male/female ratio 1.26:1) at birth. Bilirubin levels were measured upon discharge from the nursery on day 3 of life (mean, 57 ± 10 hours of life). Mean UC AFP was 60.2 ± 45.9 mg/L. UC AFP levels were linearly correlated with subsequent bilirubin levels, and significantly higher bilirubin levels were found in neonates whose UC AFP levels were 100 mg/L or more. Although statistically significant correlation between UC AFP and subsequent NHB exists, UC AFP cannot currently be recommended for use in clinical practice because of its inability to serve as a screening tool for significant NHB in the individual newborn.

KEYWORDS

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia - alpha fetoprotein - umbilical cord

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References

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Arieh RiskinM.D.

Department of Neonatology, Bnai-Zion Medical Center

47 Golomb Street, P.O.B. 4940

Haifa 31048, Israel