Relation between Urinary Tract Infection and Neonatal Icterus

Background and Aim: Urinary tract infection is a common clinical problem in children under 8 weeks of ages. Studies in this area indicate that the first sign of bacterial infection in neonates may be icterus. Our goal in this study is to determine the relationship between urinary tract infection and icterus in neonates admitted because of this condition.
Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study conducted on neonates  less than 4 weeks of age who were hospitalized because of neonatal icterus in Milad Hospital. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is defined as any number of pathogens found to grow on culture medium  obtained by suprapubic puncture. Other information including birth weight and laboratory results are recorded on designed question sheets.
Results: Sixteen cases out of 90 cases had urinary tract infection (18%).The prevalence of UTI in neonates with more than 7 days of age (27.2%) was significantly more than its  prevalence in neonates within their first week of age (14.2%). Urinalysis (U/A) in 5 cases of urinary tract infection (38%) was abnormal. Meanwhile 73% with urinary tract infection (12 cases) at the time of admission did not show any sign except icterus.
Conclusion: About 18% of the icteric neonates have urinary tract infections. Therefore it is recommended to investigate UTI (as a part of study) in icteric babies, even in the absence of any other marker.