Total Serum Magnesium Level in Icteric Neonates before and after Phototherapy in Patients Admitted to 17 Shahrivar Hospital, Rasht, 2012-2013

Jaundice is one of the most common findings in medical examination and treatment in neonates. Given the lack of information about the total level of magnesium in neonates and its relationship with neonatal bilirubin levels in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, this study aimed to compare the total magnesium levels before and after phototherapy in hyperbilirubinemia in neonates. In this cross sectional study, 65 neonates with jaundice hospitalized at the 17 Shahrivar hospital of Rasht from September 2011 to September 2012 were evaluated. Inclusion criteria included age less than 4 weeks, indirect hyperbilirubinemia, direct bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL, absence of congenital metabolic disorders, no evidence of neonatal sepsis and not receiving magnesium sulfate in mothers. Included neonates with total bilirubin above 20 mg/dL, underwent phototherapy with 12 Lamps. The magnesium level was assessed before phototherapy and 24 hours after it. Demographic data including age, gender, gestational age, neonate age at the jaundice imitation, duration of jaundice, weight at admission and the data were recorded and analyzed using statistical software SPSS version 19. The mean age of neonates was 6.15± 3.78 days; about two-thirds of them were less than 5 days old and 56.9 % were male. Mean weight of neonates was 3221.5 ± 442.5 grams and majority of them were born with gestational age of 38 weeks. The mean total bilirubin level was 21.48 ± 1.67 mg/dL and it was equal or less than 22 mg/dL in 73.8 % of neonates. The mean magnesium level before phototherapy (2.07 ± 0.33) was significantly greater than that after it (1.81 ± 0.27) (P<0.0001) and a significant relationship was also seen (P<0.05) among age, gender, total bilirubin levels, duration of jaundice, age of jaundice imitation and birth weight. This study showed that the mean magnesium level after phototherapy was significantly lower than that before phototherapy. It is also suggestive of further research with focus on the etiology of hyperbilirubinemia.