Antioxidant status in neonatal jaundice before and after phototherapy.

Phototherapy has been related to increased oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. In the present study, thirty full term jaundiced neonates with appropriate weight were analyzed before and after completion of phototherapy for malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), total thiols, vitamin C and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in hemolysate and albumin levels in plasma. These parameters were analyzed in cord blood samples of 20 healthy neonates as control. It was observed that levels of MDA were elevated significantly (p<0.001) in patients as compared to controls and that the levels increased significantly after phototherapy (p<0.001). Levels of SOD were also found to be increased significantly as compared to controls and the levels rose after phototherapy (p<0.001). On the other hand, the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants such as GSH, total thiols and vitamin C were significantly low (p<0.001) as compared to controls and the levels decreased significantly after phototherapy (p<0.001). The plasma albumin levels also were found to be decreased significantly after phototherapy (p<0.01). Therefore, phototherapy increases oxidative stress and should be used with care.