BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Neonatal jaundice is a major problem among infants in the first weeks of life. Research on several indicators of severe neonatal jaundice including alpha-fetoprotein  and umbilical cord bilirubin level has indicated contradictory results. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the significance of umbilical cord bilirubin level as a predictive indicator of severe neonatal jaundice.

METHODS: This prospective, cross-sectional study was performed on 102 healthy infants, born to healthy mothers at Babol Clinic Hospital, Babol, Iran. After birth, 2 cc blood samples were obtained from the umbilical cord and the bilirubin level was measured in the hospital laboratory. The infants were followed-up after hospital discharge in terms of jaundice presentations. In case jaundice was diagnosed in infants, they were compared in treated and untreated groups.

FINDINGS: Clinical jaundice was not detected in 54 cases (52.94%). Overall, 48 neonates (47.05%) suffered from clinical jaundice and 10 cases (8.9%) presented with severe jaundice, requiring treatment based on the criteria proposed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The mean umbilical cord bilirubin level was 1.82±0.42 mg/dl in the untreated group and 2.36±0.56 mg/dl in the treated group (P=0.000). The area under the ROC curve for umbilical cord bilirubin level was 0.722 in the treated group, based on the AAP criteria. The cut-off point of 2 mg/dl showed 80% sensitivity and 73% specificity in predicting severe jaundice (requiring treatment), based on the AAP criteria.

CONCLUSION: As the results indicated, measurement of umbilical cord bilirubin level and determination of a suitable cut-off point could be valuable in predicting severe jaundice in newborns.