Bhat Swarna Rekha, Lewis Patricia, David Angela, Liza Sr Maria
Department of Pediatrics, St John's Medical College, Bangalore, India.
Indian J Pediatr. 2006 Jan;73(1):39-41. doi: 10.1007/BF02758258.
The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of significant weight loss, dehydration, hypernatremia and hyperbilirubinemia in exclusively breast-fed term healthy neonates and compare the incidence of these problems in the warm and cool months.
During the study period 496 neonates were recruited.
157 neonates (31.6%) had significant weight loss (> 10 % cumulative weight loss or per day weight loss > 5%). Clinical dehydration was present in 2.2% of neonates. Of these 157 neonates, 31.8% had hypernatremia and 28 % had hyperbilirubinemia.
The incidence of the above mentioned problems were higher in the warm months but the difference was not statistically significant.
