Ashraf Mohammadzadeh
Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Title: The therapeutic effect of Zinc sulfate in term Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
Biography
Biography: Ashraf Mohammadzadeh
Abstract
Objective: Zinc is one of the essential elements in neonatal growth, protein synthesis, and regulation of inhibitory and stimulatory synapses of the brain. It has been shown to lower bilirubin levels by inhibition of the normal enterohepatic cycling of unconjugated bilirubin. Th e aim of the study was a therapeutic eff ect of oral zinc sulfate in neonatal jaundice.
Method: In a clinical trial 70 term neonates with a total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels ≥20 mg/dl were enrolled. Th irty-four were treated with phototherapy and zinc (10 mg/day, single dose) as a case while the remaining as control received phototherapy plus placebo. TSB levels were measured at entrance, 12, 24 and 48 hours aft er intervention and compared together.
Result: Th e mean TSB levels were signifi cantly lower in the zinc group aft er 12, 24 and 48 hours (p= 0.038, 0.005, 0.001, respectively). Duration of phototherapy in the case and control groups were 2.03±0.174 and 2.33±0.478 days, respectively, with significantly lesser in the case group (p=0.002).
Conclusion: Th is study showed that oral zinc sulfate in a single dose of 10 mg reduced the TSB levels and duration of phototherapy.