Exaggerated jaundice in Navajo neonates. The role of bilirubin production
J. D. Johnson, P. Angelus, M. Aldrich and B. J. Skipper
We have explored further the mechanism of exaggerated neonatal
hyperbilirubinemia in the Navajo by determining bilirubin production rates
with measurements of endogenous carbon monoxide excretion. Navajo newborns
had elevated serum bilirubin concentrations and endogenous carbon monoxide
excretion measurements at 2 days of age compared with a Caucasian control
population. These findings could not be explained by differences in
gestational age, postnatal age, or hemoglobin concentration. We conclude
that accentuated bilirubinemia in Navajo neonates is partially due to
increased bilirubin production.
