A retrospective study of 233 consecutively born full-term infants was performed to determine the effect of several variables on the development of hyperbilirubinemia. Thirty-five (15%) of the infants developed peak bilirubin levels greater than 12 mg/dl in the first week of life. Step wise multiple regression analysis revealed that breast-feeding was the most predictive of a group of eight variables for the development of hyperbilirubinemia greater than 12 mg/dl. The correlation between type of feeding and hyperbilirubinemia was significant (p < 0.02). None of the other factors evaluated was significantly associated with hyperbilirubinemia.
Breast-fed infants also were found to have a significantly higher incidence of hyperbilirubinemia greater than 15 mg/dl; 12 of 101 (12%) infants compared with 2 of 117 (2%) formula-fed infants (p < 0.002). This group of infants accounted for the increased incidence of hyperbilirubinemia greater than 12 mg/dl in breast-fed infants.
There was no significant correlation between weight loss and development of hyperbilirubinemia in the breast-fed infants.
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