“Intensive phototherapy” means the irradiance of the light is at least 30µW/cm2 per nm as measured at the baby’s skin below the center of the phototherapy lamp. A hand-held radiometer can be used to measure the spectral irradiance emitted by the light.
How do I know if phototherapy is working?
The bilirubin level will usually decrease every day with the treatment. The phototherapy may sometimes cause your baby to have brown coloured urine and loose brown/green bowel motions. These are signs that the treatment is working and the bilirubin level is decreasing.
When do you stop phototherapy for neonatal jaundice?
Stop phototherapy once the serum bilirubin level is 2.9 mg/dL (50 µmol/L) below the phototherapy threshold, and repeat bilirubin measurement 12 to 18 hours after phototherapy is stopped.
When should I start intensive phototherapy?
Start intensive phototherapy at a TSB level of 3 mg/dL (51 µmol/L) above the level for conventional phototherapy or when TSB increasing at >0.5 mg/dL (8.5 µmol/L) per hour b. Risk factors are isoimmune haemolytic disease, G6PD deficiency, asphyxia & sepsis.
When to start phototherapy?
Phototherapy for neonatal jaundice. Introduction This guideline applies to neonates within the first two weeks of life. Phototherapy is the use of visible light to treat severe jaundice in the neonatal period.
What light is used in phototherapy for jaundice?
Moderate jaundice is treated with bright fluorescent/ bluish coloured lights called phototherapy. These lights break down the bilirubin in the skin and make jaundice fade. Your baby (wearing only a nappy) may be placed under lights (overhead phototherapy) or on a blanket of fiberoptic lights (biliblanket).
How does phototherapy treat jaundice?
Jaundice. Jaundice is a yellowing of the eyes and skin as a result of the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood.
When should we start phototherapy in preterm newborn infants?
The use of early phototherapy at 12 hours of life in newborns weighing between 1501 and 2000 g is also of note. In this weight category, the initiation of phototherapy often occurs when bilirubin levels range from 8 to 12 mg/dl.
