CEPHALOCAUDAL PROGRESSION OF JAUNDICE IN NEWBORNS ADMITTED TO NEONATAL INTENSIVE-CARE UNITS

The influence of several clinical factors on the cephalocaudal progres sion of neonatal jaundice was investigated in 377 newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit for various reasons. Multiple regres sion analysis showed that, beyond the relationship to the plasma bilir ubin concentration, the cephalocaudal color gradient was significantly , negatively related to gestational and postnatal age. Furthermore, th e cephalocaudal progression of jaundice seemed more extended in female s compared to males. The results are in agreement with a theory explai ning that the cephalocaudal color gradient is due to conformational ch anges in the newly formed bilirubin albumin complexes.