TREATMENT OF NEONATAL HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA WITH REPETITIVE ORAL ACTIVATED-CHARCOAL AS AN ADJUNCT TO PHOTOTHERAPY

The efficacy of multiple dose oral activated charcoal (OAC) therapy fo r neonatal hyperbilirubinemia was prospectively studied in 30 jaundice d newborns receiving phototherapy, randomly assigned to a study group (n = 14) or control group (n = 16). The study group received OAC befor e meats with a total amount of 8.5 +/- 0.85 gms (M +/- SEM). Serum bil irubin levels upon initiation of phototherapy were (M +/- SEM) 265 +/- 8 and 253 +/- 4 mumol/L respectively. After 24 hours there was no sig nificant decrease in serum bilirubin levels in the control group (M +/ - SEM = 240 +/- 8 mumol/L) but bilirubin levels of the study group dec reased (M +/- SEM = 235 +/- 7 mumol/L, p < 0.02). At 48 hours serum bi lirubin levels were significantly lower than baseline values in both g roups. However. the decline in bilirubin levels in the study group (M +/- SEM = 56 +/- 10 mumol/L) was greater than that of the controls (M +/- SEM = 21 +/- 10 mumol/L p < 0.02). Oral activated charcoal seems t o be an effective adjunct to phototherapy in the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.