Prevalence of Hypocalcemia due to Phototherapy in Icteric Neonates t Admitted to Shahid Akbarabadi Hospital

Phototherapy plays a significant role in the treatment and prevention of hyperbilirubinemia. However, this treatment modality may itself result in the development of some complications. A lesser Known complication of phototherapy is hypocalcemia. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of phototherapy-induced hypocalcemia in icteric neonates admitted to the hospital. Patients and In a cross-sectional analytical study, 150 icteric neonates undergoing phototherapy were evaluated. All of them were full term and >2500 gram. These neonates were completely normal on physical examination. Serum bilirubin and calcium were checked on arrival and 48 hours after starting phototherapy. Patient's information was analyzed by Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests. 123 neonates(82%) developed hypocalcemia 48 hours after starting phototherapy. The difference between pre and post phototherapy plasma calcium was found to be statistically significant (p=0.001). The study showed that hypocalcemia is common in neonates under phototherapy.