Abstract
The effectiveness of phototherapy in the treatment of neonatal jaundice has been proved, but many metabolic questions about it remain unanswered: e.g. a negative metabolic balance may be created because of increased needs and of reduced absorption. The serum free fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesterol and phospholipids of 15 fullterm and 13 premature jaundiced infants were measured by chemical and chromatographic methods before and after a 48 hrs phototherapy and compared to a matched group of controls. The obtained values, corrected for hemoconcentration, show a significant decrease of free fatty acids after phototherapy: NEFA before phototherapy: Full term 0.192 ± 0.007 mEq/L, prematures 0.170 ± 0.010 mEq/L; after: full term 0.100 ± 0.010 mEq/L, prematures 0.089 ± 0.016 mEq/L. The cholesterol values were moderately decreased. No differences were observed for the phospholipids and the triglycerides. The above findings can be due to the decreased absorption and increased catabolisrn of lipids. The probable binding of NEFA by bilirubin, during the phototherapy, must also be considered.
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Hadjigeorgiou, E., Triliouri, D., Trichopoulou, A. et al. 132: Influence of phototherapy on the serum lipids of jaundiced newborns. Pediatr Res 10, 892 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197610000-00123
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197610000-00123