Title:The Effect of Probiotics on Phototherapy for Bilirubin Reduction in Term Neonates: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Author(s): Fatemeh Eghbalian, Mohamad Kazem Sabzehei, Soroush Taheri Talesh, Roya Raeisi and Ensiyeh Jenabi*
Affiliation:
- Nursing and Midwifery,
Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
Keywords:
Neonatal jaundice, phototherapy, probiotics, icterus, bilirubin excretion, mucous membranes.
Abstract:
Background: This interventional study aimed to assess the impact of combining probiotics
with phototherapy compared to using phototherapy alone on bilirubin reduction in term neonates
hospitalized in neonatal wards in a pediatric hospital in western Iran.
Methods: This clinical trial study included 150 term neonates with a gestational age of 37 to 42
weeks, birth weight of more than 2500 g, and diagnosed with neonatal jaundice. Patients were
equally assigned to two groups of phototherapy (wavelength 420-450 nm) with oral probiotics
(PediLact drop, 10 drops daily) and phototherapy alone through a simple random sampling
method. Serum bilirubin levels (SBL) at the time of intervention, and 24, 48, and 72 hours later,
duration of phototherapy, duration of hospitalization, and the need for blood transfusion were compared
in the two groups. We used t-test and repeated analysis of variance to compare continuous
variables. SPSS24 software was used to analyze the data. The significance level was set as 0.05.
Results: There was no statistically significant difference found between the two groups regarding
basic variables, gender, birth weight, gestational age, maternal age, and neonatal age at hospitalization
time. On the first day of hospitalization, the mean serum bilirubin level (SBL) in the combinatory
therapy group was 15.6 ± 1.7 mg/dl, while in the monotherapy group, it was 15.8 ± 1.6 mg/dl
(p = 0.584). On the second day, the mean SBL in the combinatory therapy group was 11.2 ± 2.2,
whereas in the monotherapy group, it was 12.4 ± 2.1. By the third day, these levels were 7.2 ± 0.9
and 7.8 ± 0.7, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Repeated
analysis of variance testing confirmed a statistically significant decrease in serum bilirubin
levels in both groups. The average length of hospital stay for the combinatory therapy group was
2.4 ± 0.5 days, compared to 2.8 ± 0.6 days in the phototherapy group (p = 0.001). In terms of phototherapy
duration, the combinatory therapy group received treatment for 26.2 ± 9.9 hours, while
the phototherapy group received it for 31.4 ± 10.3 hours (p = 0.001).
Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicate that incorporating oral probiotics into phototherapy
for neonatal jaundice (icterus) treatment is associated with a reduction in phototherapy
duration and hospital stay.