Background: Perinatal asphyxia is a major cause of neurologic morbidity and mortality in infants. Objective: Determine the serum level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in neonates with perinatal asphyxia and its relation to the severity of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and short term neurological outcome. Methods: Serum IL-6 levels were measured at birth, and at 24 and 48 hour post-partum in 37 consecutive uninfected neonates with peri-natal asphyxia and 45 randomly selected healthy newborns. Results: Serum IL-6 concentrations in the infants who developed hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy was 43 folds higher compared to values in the normal infants (p < 0.001) and 1.9 folds higher as compared to infants with asphyxia who did not subsequently develop hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (p <0.001). Serum IL-6 concentrations were also related to the degree of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and neurologicaldevelopmental outcomes at the time of discharge. Conclusion: Serum levels of IL-6 increased in neonates with asphyxia, and this was most pronounced in neonates with adverse outcomes.

Our findings indicate that selenium supplementation in pregnant women may be associated with a lower frequency of preeclampsia.

Background: Hemolytic jaundice is the most serious cause of hyperbilirubinemia among neonates. It may develop to kernicterus due to misdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence rate of hemolytic jaundice, predisposing factors and assessment of treatment and complications in hemolytic jaundice.