Prevalence of G6PD deficiency amongst neonates with neonatal jaundice admitted to the children ward of Sheikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan

Objective: The objective of the current study was to determine the prevalence G6PD deficiency among neonates with neonatal jaundice. Material and method: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Paediatric Unit 2, Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, from May to August 2023 after ethical approval. A 2–3 ml venous blood sample was taken from selected newborns for G-6-PD enzyme testing using EDTA anticoagulant. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24. Results: A total of 212 neonates were enrolled in our study. Out of the total participants screened 38(18%) were preterm and 174(82%) were term neonates. All the participants were males. The mean (SD) serum bilirubin (SBR) was 18.03 (±13.4) mg/dL. The mean direct SBR (SD) was 0.54 (±0.26) mg/dL, while the mean indirect serum bilirubin was 16.55 (±2.91) mg/dL. The newborns enrolled in the study had weight from 2.0 to 3.6 kg, with a mean of 2.7 ± 0.375 kg. The mean age of the neonates upon presentation was 4.52 ± 3.042 days, with a range of 2–17 days. Among the study participants the prevalence of G6PD deficiency was 19(9%). Out of the 19 G6PD deficient individuals 10(52.6%) of them were mild anemic, 5(26.31%) were moderate anemic and 4(21.0%) had normal HB level. Conclusion: The current study concluded that deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is a significant risk factor for jaundice in neonates and 9% of the neonates with neonatal jaundice had G6PD deficiency. Key words: G6PD deficiency; Neonates; Neonatal jaundice; Bilirubin