The Prevalence of Neonatal Jaundice Among Babies Born at Mpilo Central Hospital, Bulawayo from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022

Abstract

Neonatal jaundice is a common preventable and treatable condition affecting babies, causing skin and eyes to turn yellow due to elevated blood bilirubin levels. In 2022, 38.5% babies at Mpilo Central Hospital were tested for neonatal jaundice, indicating the need for better treatment to prevent brain damage in neonates. The study objectives were to determine the prevalence of neonatal jaundice in babies born at Mpilo Central Hospital, identify risk factors associated with neonatal jaundice and to find out the strategies to reduce neonatal jaundice. The study employed a retrospective descriptive research design and convenience sampling technique was used to select 364 records of babies with neonatal jaundice. Data were collected using a checklist in form of an Excel sheet comprising columns for the date the test was done, patient identification number, patient’s age, unconjugated bilirubin, conjugated bilirubin and Total serum Bilirubin. The collected data were analysed using SPSS software. The study results showed that the prevalence of neonatal jaundice was 47.8%, with female babies constituting 46% while male babies accounted 49.2%. The finding reveals that the majority of the babies with neonatal jaundice are males (49.2%), full-term babies (48.0%) and had no evidence of infection (47.5%). Babies of a significant number (25%) mothers of a mixed race and a large number (43.9%) from rural areas developed neonatal jaundice. The findings suggest that any baby is prone to neonatal jaundice irrespective of race or place of residence of the mother. Significant correlation risk factors were gender (p=0.003), mode of delivery (p=0.37), term (p=0.13) and infection (p=0.178). The results reflected a high prevalence of neonatal jaundice with risk factors predominantly being maternal demographics and neonatal clinical presentation. The study results showed that after initial phototherapy treatment, the number of babies with neonatal jaundice decreased from 47.8% to 4.1%. The finding confirms that phototherapy effectively reduces neonatal jaundice. However, babies who had phototherapy after the first test trial were few owing to financial constraints. It is, therefore, imperative that the Government financially supports the mothers with newly born babies in need of clinical tests and treatment as regard to neonatal jaundice. It is also recommended that further research be conducted to find effective preventive measures and new treatments to manage babies with neonatal jaundice.