Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and neonatal jaundice

Abstract

Examinations were carried out on 1,327 unselected newborns in Bangkok for erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD): 152 infants were found to be deficient. The incidence of otherwise unexplained severe jaundice was 5 % in the group of hemizygous male and homozygous female infants, and approximately 2% in heterozygous female infants. No significant difference was found between the cord blood reticulocyte counts of infants with normal G-6-PD activity and G-6-PD deficient infants. Some aspects of the incidence and the pathogenesis of neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia associated with G-6-PD deficiency are discussed.