Esferocitosis hereditaria en el periodo de recién nacido

The clinical and hematological features of seven newborn infants with hereditary spherocytosis (HS) wereanalyzed, 5 of them had familial antecedents of the disease. All 7 patients with neonatal HS had early and intensejaundice. Phototherapy was employed in all of them, but 3 required exchange transfusions. The evolution of thesepatients showed the same patterns that those cases whose HS diagnosis was established at later ages. Another 29cases, recognized after the neonatal period, were also analized. In this later patients pathological neonatal jaundicewas noted in 44.8% of the cases. Probably HS with hemolytic jaundice in the newborns is undcrdiagnoscd andshould be investigated in every patient with neonatal jaundice of unknown origin: familial antecedents of US nuistbe inquired, specially if there is anemia, and complete hematological study (osmotic fragility test included)toghcther with a differential diagnosis with ABO incompatibility should also be done.(Key words: Hereditary spherocytosis, signs and symptoms, neonatal period, newborn infants, early manifestations).