Bilirubin binding capacity of albumin isolated from cord-blood serum is less than that from serum of adults.

As estimated by Sephadex gel filtration, the bilirubin binding capacity of albumin isolated from cord-blood serum by ion-exchange chromatography is less than that of albumin isolated from serum of adults. Albumin isolated from cord-blood serum showed increased bilirubin binding as compared with the albumin in the native serum. These findings suggest that the lower bilirubin binding capacity of serum from newborns as compared with serum from adults is a result of both an intrinsic deficiency in binding capacity of neonatal albumin and the presence of substances in neonatal serum that interfere with bilirubin binding.