Overhead is superior to underneath light-emitting diode phototherapy in the treatment of neonatal jaundice: a comparative study.

AIM: To compare the efficacy of overhead and underneath light-emitting diode (LED) devices in the treatment of neonatal jaundice.

METHODS

We compared two LED phototherapy devices: the neoBLUE device, which provides overhead illumination, and the neoBLUE cozy device, which provides illumination from underneath the infant. The models we used had similar LED sources and provided similar light intensities (30 microW/cm(2)/nm). Infants with hyperbilirubinemia were assigned to one of two groups according to the phototherapy device used (group 1, overhead illumination, 181 infants; group 2, underneath illumination, 61 infants). Recorded variables included birthweight, gender, family history, aetiology of jaundice, total duration of phototherapy and total serum bilirubin (TSB) concentration at the initiation of phototherapy, at 12-hour intervals and just before the cessation of phototherapy. The rates of decrease in TSB concentration were calculated.

RESULTS

There were significant differences in the mean duration of phototherapy and in the rate of decrease in TSB concentration between the two groups. The mean duration of phototherapy in group 2 was higher than in group 1 (P= 0.037). The rate of decrease in TSB in group 1 was higher than in group 2 (P= 0.01).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that when phototherapy is used in the treatment of neonatal jaundice, the direction from which the light is applied should be considered in addition to light source intensity.