Management of hyperbilirubinemia in preterm infants in Turkey

Prematurity is a significant risk factor for developing unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. This study investigated the current approach to managing hyperbilirubinemia in preterm newborns in Turkey. A study-specific questionnaire on the management of jaundice in preterm infants was sent to 100 level III neonatal intensive care units in Turkey. Responses were obtained from 84 centers from all regions of Turkey. Of the centers, 75.3% used the Turkish Neonatology Society guidelines for deciding to start phototherapy, and 24.7% used different guidelines. The monitoring of bilirubin varied among the participants. Of the participants, 53.6% believed that prophylactic phototherapy was necessary if the infant's birth weight was below 1000 g. The participants reported 6 cases of kernicterus in preterm infants in recent years. There is no single standard approach for managing neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in preterm infants in Turkey. Prophylactic phototherapy for extremely low birth-weight infants might be added to the guidelines for Turkey.