Clinical Features of Urinary Tract Infection in Neonates with Hyperbilirubinemia: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is a common physiological finding in neonates but sometimes Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) can occur in these neonates and it can be asymptomatic or may lead to complications. Many causative factors are listed out for development of neonatal jaundice but the UTI is less mentioned in previous studies. Aim: To study the prevalence of UTI and its clinical features in the neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Aakash Healthcare super specialty Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi, India, between June 2019 and May 2020. Total 116 infants with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia were included in the study. The demographic features including date and time of admission, age at presentation of jaundice, mode of parturition, type of assistance for delivery (if any used), presence of cephalohaematoma, bruising or caput succedaneum, weight at birth, age at onset of jaundice (days of life), baby’s and mother’s blood group, any metabolic diseases in mother and father etc. were studied. A thorough haematological work-up was done and urine was collected in a sterile container by catheterisation. All samples were sent to the laboratory for microscopic analysis and culture. Data was statistically analysed using Mann-Whitney U-test and level of significant p-value was considered as less than 0.05. Results: A total of 116 cases of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia were included in this study. Out of the 116 cases, 66 cases (56.89%) were male neonates and infants and 50 cases (43.11%) were female neonates and infants. In this study, out of 116 neonates with hyperbilirubinemia, only 20 babies showed pus cells >5 //hpf (high power field microscope) (suggesting UTI), out of the 20 babies, 08 babies showed culture negative and pus cells >5 /hpf and remaining 12 babies showed culture positive and pus cells >5 /hpf. Out of 12 cases of culture and sensitivity, 8 cases showed culture for Escherichia coli (E.coli) and remaining four cases, organism cultured was Klebsiella pneumonia. Conclusion: Hyperbilirubinemia may be the initial sign of UTI in neonates; it may be asymptomatic in jaundiced newborns. It is recommended that, evaluation of UTI should be made in cases of asymptomatic hyperbilirubinemia cases which helps the paediatrician for early detection and treatment of these affected newborns reducing the hospital stay and long term complications.