SUPERIORITY OF ORAL AGAR AND PHOTOTHERAPY COMBINATION IN THE TREATMENT OF NEONATAL HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA

Objective. To determine the value of oral agar in the treatment of neo natal hyperbilirubinemia and to compare it with two other treatment mo dalities: phototherapy alone and phototherapy plus oral agar. Methods. Two hundred eight jaundiced full-term newborns were divided into four groups. They were given either phototherapy alone, phototherapy plus oral agar, oral agar alone, or no treatment (control group). The chang es in the serum bilirubin values were determined and the results were compared statistically, mainly using analysis of variance. Results. In all three therapy groups, the time required to reduce the bilirubin l evel to either 15 mg/dL or to 10 mg/dL was significantly shorter than that required by the control group. Although oral agar was found to be as effective as phototherapy, the most significant decrease in biliru bin level was in the combination group. Conclusions. The efficacy of p hototherapy in decreasing the serum bilirubin level in neonatal hyperb ilirubinemia can be augmented with the use of oral agar. Oral agar can also be used as a single agent for the treatment of neonatal hyperbil irubinemia, since it is as effective as phototherapy.