Concentration of bilirubin in the neonatal stage in relation to the use of contraceptives
Vega-Franco, L.; de León González, M.; Díaz Luna, P.
Boletin Medico del Hospital Infantil de Mexico 36(1): 1-7
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0539-6115 PMID: 758176 Document Number: 146722
100 mothers, 45 of whom had been on oral contraceptives (OCs), were interviewed with the purpose of determining whether the use of OCs could contribute to elevate the level of unconjugated bilirubin in the blood of breast fed newborns. All infants were full term newborns, with adequate weight for their gestational age. They were breast fed 24 hours after birth, and the level of bilirubin was measured 72 hours after birth. The average level of bilirubin was 13.6 mg/100 ml in infants of mothers who had been on OCs, and 8.6 mg/100 ml for the other group of infants. The literature on the subject presents a great divergence of opinions among the several authors, showing that the mechanism of action of this phenomenon is still partly unknown.