Phototherapy--1988. A green light for a new approach?

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia or, as otherwise known, jaundice of the newborn is the most common clinical problem in the newborn period. Visible jaundice is seen in 30% to 50% of infants, and in about 10%, the hyperbilirubinemia requires treatment. The critical factor that leads to the accumulation of this yellow pigment bilirubin is the immaturity of the newborn's liver and its inability to excrete the natural form of unconjugated bilirubin. In the past two decades phototherapy has become the routine both for treatment of neonates with hyperbilirubinemia and for prophylaxis in highrisk patients such as preterm infants. Recent information about the mechanism of phototherapy and the availability of new types of light sources prompted this review.