Fluid supplementation in management of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of oral or intravenous fluid supplementation in accelerating the decline of serum bilirubin with intensive phototherapy among healthy term and late preterm neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. Methods: This open-label randomized controlled trial randomized neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia (serum total bilirubin ≥18 mg/dL or within 2 mg/dL of threshold for exchange transfusion) to receive 50 mL/kg of intravenous fluid over 8 h (IVF group, n = 51), 50 mL of oral rehydration solution over 8 h (oral rehydration solution (ORS) group, n = 50) or only standard therapy (control group, n = 49). Intensive phototherapy was administered in all the three study groups. Results: Over 8 h of intervention, serum bilirubin declined by 15.5% (95% CI: 11.7-19.4%) in IVF group, by 9.1% (95% CI: 7.3-10.9%) in ORS group and by 8.0% (95% CI: 6.2-9.7%) in control group (p < .001). Percent decline in serum bilirubin serum total bilirubin (STB) was significantly greater in IVF group as compared to ORS (mean difference: -6.4% 95% CI: -1.9 to -11.0) and control (mean difference: -7.6% 95% CI: -3.0 to -12.1) groups. Duration of phototherapy and proportion of neonates needing exchange transfusion were comparable in the three study groups. Conclusions: Intravenous fluid supplementation may result in a faster decline of STB in first few hours of treatment. However, with the use of intensive phototherapy, there was no effect on overall duration of phototherapy or need of exchange transfusion.

Background: Clinical trial registry of India: REF/2015/09/009775.