Glucuronation of the Liver in Premature Babies

ONE of the principal factors causing neonatal jaundice is the incomplete ability of liver to conjugate the bilirubin which is produced in greater amounts than that normally found in the older infant or adult. This condition has been extensively studied in vitro in numerous species of animals by means of different methods in which o-aminophenol as well as bilirubin has been used as an acceptor of glucuronic acid1–4. In the newborn human, however, the difficulty of obtaining a sufficient quantity of fresh hepatic tissue has limited the use of these techniques. It has also influenced many authors to evaluate in vivo the ability of liver to glucuronate by means of charge tests. These tests are made using drugs which are conjugated to produce glucuronates and sulphates, which are then excreted through the urine5.