The effect of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency on the severity of neonatal jaundice in Cape Town.

A study was made of 3718 newborn infants with jaundice in excess of physiological levels. Prematurity, haemolytic disease, haematomas or infections were present in 1278 patients. Of the remaining 2440 neonates, 137 were deficient in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) and 2303 had idiopathic hyperbilirubinaemia. Exchange transfusion was necessary in 59 (42,7%) of the patients with G-6-PD deficiency and in 426 (18,5%) of those with idiopathic hyperbilirubinaemia. Kernicterus occurred in 3 infants (2,2%) with G-6-PD deficiency and in 3 (0,13%) with idiopathic hyperbilirubinaemia. These findings indicate that G-6-PD deficiency contributes significantly to the severity of neonatal jaundice in the population group studied and should be regarded as a potentially dangerous condition.