Prevalence of Pathological Jaundice and Its Associated Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes at a Tertiary Care Hospital Saidu Group of Teaching Hospital (SGTH) Swat
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Background: Pathological neonatal jaundice can progress to clinically significant hyperbilirubinemia and neurological complications, making timely recognition, monitoring, and treatment essential. Objective: To determine the hospital-based prevalence of pathological neonatal jaundice and evaluate selected neonatal and maternal factors associated with bilirubin severity among neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Saidu Group of Teaching Hospital, Swat. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 neonates with pathological neonatal jaundice identified from 831 NICU admissions during a 30-day period. Demographic, maternal, neonatal, feeding, hematological, and clinical characteristics were recorded. Categorical variables were summarized using frequencies and percentages, and associations with bilirubin severity were assessed using Pearson’s chi-square test. Results: Pathological neonatal jaundice accounted for 18.1% (150/831) of NICU admissions. Among affected neonates, 92 (61.3%) were male, 33 (22.0%) were preterm, and 44 (29.3%) weighed <2.5 kg. Overall, 46 (30.7%) had mild, 65 (43.3%) moderate, and 39 (26.0%) severe bilirubin levels; 104 (69.3%) therefore had moderate-to-severe hyperbilirubinemia. Birth weight was associated with bilirubin severity (χ²=12.154, df=4, p=0.016), although sparse expected frequencies reduced the robustness of the asymptotic test. Gestational age (p=0.388), Rh factor (p=0.753), and infection status (p=0.536) were not significantly associated with bilirubin severity. Conclusion: Pathological neonatal jaundice constituted a substantial proportion of NICU admissions. Lower birth weight was accompanied by a greater proportion of severe bilirubin levels, supporting close surveillance of low-birth-weight neonates and early bilirubin assessment to reduce risk of preventable neurological complications.
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