Neonatal jaundice is common, especially in premature infants. Treatment protocols require the separation of the child from the mother after birth, for short phototherapy.

A study published in Anales de Pediatria evaluated the effectiveness and safety of two innovative devices for phototherapy, including a LED light mesh – one sleeping bag and one blanket, compared to conventional hospital or ambulatory phototherapy.

The present study entailed, two randomized clinical trials – one with newborns weighing >2000g at birth in the Neonatal Care Unit and the other with premature infants followed-up in an outpatient clinic (PMC). The gold standard for bilirubin measurement was serum bilirubin. Parents and health personnel completed a questionnaire on comfort and perceptions.

In the study using the sleeping bag, a linear regression was performed for the decrease in bilirubin in mg/dL/h, controlling by early jaundice (<36h) and the device type. The results were found to be similar between the two devices. For the blanket trial in the PMC, the decrease in bilirubin levels with the new device was significantly greater with no differences in temperatures, duration of phototherapy, re-admission, mortality or side effects for both trials. While parents and staff satisfaction with the two devices were identical for the two trials.

It was concluded that these findings could aid in future implementation of avoidance of the mother-and-child separation for both the intra-hospital high-risk hyperbilirubinemia, as well as for the lower-risk hyperbilirubinemia in the outpatient clinic.

Source: Anales de Pediatria (Barcelona, Spain: 2003). 2020 Feb;92(2):79-87. doi:10.1016/j.anpedi.2019.02.008. Epub 2019 Apr 9.