Correlation between Gestational and Maternal Age with Pathological Neonatal Jaundice

Abstract

Pathologic jaundice is one of the causes of neonatal death, among the risk factor is pre-term pregnancy that causes prematurity. It affects the growth of the fetus due to the immaturity of the reproductive organs. The main objective of this study is to analyze the correlation between gestational and maternal age with pathologic neonatal jaundice. The research used quantitative analytical method with cross sectional approach. The sample consisted of 297 babies chosen using systematic random sampling technique. The analysis used Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Fisher Exact Test. The result of study found that 5.1% of neonatal had post-term gestation, 21.55% of mothers delivered at risk of ages, 6.06% suffered pathologic neonatal jaundice. Some of neonatal (24.44%) born during preterm gestation suffered pathologic jaundice. The correlation between gestational age and pathological jaundice got p value = 0.035, the correlation between maternal age with pathological jaundice got p value = 1.000. Gestational age associated with pathological jaundice and maternal age is not associated with pathological jaundice. It is important for health workers to assess gestational age on antenatal and intranatal care to anticipate pathological jaundice and mothers need to always take their baby to health services if the baby appears to have yellow skin. Keywords—Bilirubin; Gestational age; Maternal Age; Neonatal; Pathological Jaundice