Abstract
Objective: To identify the incidence and clinical forms of hypernatremic dehydration associated with jaundice in newborns admitted to a community hospital.
Method: A prospective and descriptive study including term-newborns admitted with jaundice, who were divided in 2 groups, with or without hypernatremia. A comparison was made according clinical characteristics, age at readmission, weight loss, fever, bilirubin levels, use of antibiotics, neurological abnormalities and mortality.
Results: 24 newborns were admitted in 1 year; half of them presented increase sodium levels (average = 163,92 mmol/lt). The incidence was 5/1 000 newborns alive. We did not find differences between the perinatal characteristics or bilirubin levels in both groups, whereas weight loss was higher in the dehydrated group.
Conclusions: The incidence of hypernatremic dehydration associated with fever and jaundice seems bigger than previous reports.
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Copyright (c) 2005 Revista Chilena de Pediatría