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Routine Phenobarbital for Prevention of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia

In a parallel study conducted over a 1-year period, involving 460 private prenatal patients, the effect of routine prenatal phenobarbital for the prevention of neonatal jaundice was evaluated. The incidence of significant jaundice (bilirubin levels 10 mg/100 ml) occurred in 4.1% of the 221 test patients compared to 16.3% of the 239 control patients. No significant complications resulted from the drug therapy, and the newborn infants demonstrated no adverse effects attributable to the phenobarbital. Mothers who were given prophylactic phenobarbital took their infants home earlier, less often brought infants back to the hospital for phototherapy, and spent fewer dollars for their total medical care than their control conterparts. Routine phenobarbital prophylaxis was found to be a safe, effective, and economic method of preventing hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn.