Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia and Renal Vein Thrombosis

IN INFANTS of diabetic mothers hyperbilirubinemia has frequently been observed. 1,2 The mechanism of formation of the unconjugated bilirubin remains obscure. 3 Although renal vein thrombosis has most often been described in association with diarrhea and dehydration, 4-5 several authors have described this phenomenon as another of the complications of infants of diabetic mothers. 6-7 Regardless of the underlying pathological condition, when renal vein thrombosis has occurred, the mortality rate has been high. 8-9 The present report is related to the methodology involved in early diagnosis and surgical therapy of an infant of a diabetic mother with hyperbilirubinemia and renal vein thrombosis. Report of a Case A white boy was born after 40 weeks of gestation by elective cesarean section to a 33-year-old brittle diabetic mother with a history of vaginal bleeding at 32 weeks. His birth weight was 8 lb 8 oz (3,855 gm). Initially he was lethargic. Because