EVIDENCE OF RIBOFLAVIN DEPLETION IN BREAST‐FED NEWBORNS AND ITS FURTHER ACCELERATION DURING TREATMENT OF HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA BY PHOTOTHERAPY

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Abstract
Phototherapy in the treatment of newborns with hyperbilirubinemia, resulting in degradation of bilirubin, also appears to have other photodynamic effects on metabolism. FAD saturation of erythrocyte glutathione reductase which should reflect riboflavine nutritional status in 28 healthy newborns, was studied. Newborns (37) with hyperbilirubinemia prior to the start of and during phototherapy were also studied. Healthy newborns on human milk feeding, relatively poor in riboflavine, have evidence of a transient riboflavine depletion soon after birth. This effect is made more pronounced by phototherapy and partially prevented by parenteral or oral administration of moderate amounts of riboflavine.