EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CLINICAL HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA IN AL AIN, UNITED-ARAB-EMIRATES

All infants born at Al An Hospital, United Arab Emirates between 1 Jan uary and 30 June 1995 who developed clinically relevant hyperbilirubin aemia defined as jaundice requiring investigation and treatment were p rospectively studied. Of the 2300 live births, 85 (3.7%) developed hyp erbilirubinaemia. Of these, 22 were premature, 22 had ABO haemolytic d isease of the newborn, eight had G6PD deficiency (Mediterranean), seve n had breast-milk jaundice, five were born to mothers with diabetes me llitus and one had Rh incompatibility. No specific factor was identifi ed in 20 (24%). Significant differences in the distribution of diagnos tic categories were found among the major ethnic groups in the populat ion studied. This first study of the epidemiology of clinically releva nt hyperbilirubinaemia in this community identified locally relevant r isk factors and highlighted areas of health care which, if modified, m ight reduce the incidence of hyperbilirubinaemia.