Amit Y; Jabbour S; Arad ID
Effect of skinfold thickness on transcutaneous
bilirubin measurements.
Biol Neonate, 1993, 63:4, 209-14
SWITZERLAND
We studied the effect of skinfold thickness on the correlation between serum total bilirubin level and transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) readings. Skinfold thickness measurements were taken at 1-4 h of age. Serum total bilirubin levels and TcB readings were obtained at 1-4 (first) and 44-56 h of age (discharge). No correlation was found between first reading and skinfold thickness (rho = -0.196), whereas correlations with first serum bilirubin level and blood hematocrit were 0.397 and -0.373, respectively. The correlation between discharge serum total bilirubin level and TcB reading was affected by skinfold thickness, and not improved with the use of first reading as a reference for discharge reading.