Investigation of grovvth hormone in patients vvith kernicterus.

Bilirübin encephalopathy or kernicterus is a neurologic syndrome resulting from the deposition of uncongugated bilirübin in brain celis. Features of kernicterus may include cerebral palsy and deafness. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of kernicterus on grovvth and grovvth hormone. Our research included 22 patients with kernicterus, 18 patients vvho had exchange transfusions but having no features of kernicterus, 14 patients who had only phototherapy, and 15 patients vvho had no jaundice during neonatal period vvho vvere inves- tigated at 21 months old (mean age). Ali patients had complete blood count, urine analysis, glucose, and grovvth hormone. We observed overt neurologic abnormalities in 6 patients vvith kernicterus. There vvas grovvth retardation in 5 of 6 infants vvith neurologic abnormalities. There vvas no grovvth retardation in other patients. Our research has indi- cated that there may be grovvth retardation in patients vvith kernicterus and the reason for this may be nutritional disorders. More investigations must be done in order to understand the abnormalities in grovvth hormone in patients vvith kernicterus.