Serum Magnesium Levels in Neonatal Jaundice: Is There any Correlation Between Hypermagnesemia and Moderate to Severe Hyperbilirubinemia in Term Newborns?

Neonatal jaundice is a common major problem; on the other hand, it is suggested that there is a correlation between plasma magnesium concentrations and hyperbilirubinemia during the neonatal period.

The study aims to validate a previously reported risk index for predicting the magnesium level of plasma for moderate to severe hyperbilirubinemia in infant neonates.

A cross-sectional correlation study was performed on 93 term newborns with indirect hyperbilirubinemia admitted in neonatology unit of a children hospital and plasma magnesium level of moderate to severe Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia were determined, and statistical analysis was performed.

Authors did not find any statistically meaningful positive or negative correlation between plasma Mg level and bilirubin in patients studied; however, comparison of Mg level in two groups of severe and moderate hyperbilirubinemia showed decreased dispersion of medium Mg level in the severe group.

Serum magnesium concentration is not useful in anticipation of which newborn infant will develop hyperbilirubinemia.