Phototherapy Treatment Procedure for Hyperbilirubinemia

Hyperbilirubinemia occurs when there is build-up of a naturally occurring substance called bilirubin in the blood. The normal breakdown of red blood cells produces bilirubin. When infants are not able to get rid of the breakdown of bilirubin and it builds up in the blood, tissues, and fluids it is called hyperbilirubinemia. Hyperbilirubinemia is commonly referred to as jaundice in the newborn. Phototherapy is the most common treatment.

Phototherapy Treatment

According to C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, photherapy has been used for over 30 years in the treatment of hyperbilirubinemia or jaundice in the newborn.

Phototherapy is a light treatment in which lights are used to eliminate bilirubin in the newborn. Your infant's skin and blood will absorb the lights from the phototherapy treatment. This absorption will break down the build-up of bilirubin and allow it to pass through your baby's system.

Conventional phototherapy consists of rows of ultraviolet lights that are suspended over your infant. There is also a spotlight that can be suspended at a distance to form light over your baby. The phototherapy lights would shine directly down on your infant. The infant would typically only have on a diaper for maximum exposure to the light and would be in either a radiant warmer, a type of open bed in the Neonatal Unit or they are placed in an isolate, which is a enclosed plastic incubator. Both are heated to keep your infant warm during treatment. Your baby would be wearing soft eye patches to protect his eyes from the ultraviolet lights.

Depending on the level of bilirubin in your baby's blood, will depend on the number of lighting sources used to help bring down his levels as quickly as possible. Single lighting, double phototherapy or triple phototherapy can all be used to treat the hyperbilirubinemia.

Your physician can also prescribe the use of a biliblanket. This is a fiber optic blanket that is wrapped around your infant's body. The biliblanket provides a high level of therapeutic light to treat hyperbilirubinemia. The strength of the biliblanket is comparable to the amount of light you would get while in the shade on a sunny day. The biliblanket is a safer option due to the fact that it filters out harmful ultraviolet and infrared lights. This is also a convenient form of phototherapy because your baby can be clothed, held and fed while the biliblanket is turned on. Your baby can also in some cases be discharged from the hospital on a biliblanket instead of having to stay additional days in the hospital under conventional phototherapy.

The length of time your baby will need phototherapy treatment will depend on the levels of bilirubin in his blood. Blood samples will be taken to test the levels and when normal levels of bilirubin are present in the blood, the phototherapy can be discontinued.

Considerations

During phototherapy treatment for hyperbilirubinemia, it is important that your baby is feeding on a regular basis. Breastfeeding is still encouraged during treatment and if the baby is not receiving adequate fluids during feeding an intravenous line may be placed to ward off dehydration from the lights.