LY Siu, LW Siu, sk Au, kw Li, TK Tsui, YY Chang, gp Lee, NS Kwong

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of Minolta JM-103 Jaundice Meter as a screening tool for neonatal jaundice in preterm Chinese neonates on day 0-14. Methods: This prospective study studied the correlation between the total serum bilirubin (TSB) measurements and the paired transcutaneous bilirubin measurements obtained at the forehead (TcB_F) and sternum (TcB_S) between April and September 2009. Findings: 110 pairs of TcB_F, TcB_S and TSB measurements were evaluated in 30 preterm newborns. Both TcB measurements were significantly correlated with TSB, with a correlation coefficient of 0.81 and 0.83 for TcB measurements obtained at the forehead and sternum, respectively. The mean of the difference of the pairs (TcB_F minus TSB) and (TcB_S minus TSB) were 9.30 and 20.18 μmol/L, respectively. The corresponding standard deviation measured 27.10 and 27.46 at p<0.01, respectively; the JM-103 tended to overestimate TSB. Conclusion: TcB correlates significantly with TSB in preterm neonates and JM-103 appears to be useful as a screening tool in preterm (<35 weeks) neonates.