Efficacy of phototherapy in non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia

Abstract

Clinical experience of phototherapy for non-haemolytic hyper-bilirubinaemia in 3999 infants in Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore, is documented. Phototherapy was most effective in extremely preterm infants with very low birth weight (gestation 32 weeks, birth weight 1500 g) and least effective in full term infants with very low birth weight (gestation 37 weeks, birth weight 1500 g) and large preterm infants (gestation <37 weeks, birth weight >2270 g). Overall, phototherapy was effective in almost all the infants, with a failure rate of only 2-00/1000 infants. No characteristic features common to all the failures could be detected. The bilirubin rebound was usually mild; repeat phototherapy was required in only 30 infants (7-50/1000), with the response to the second exposure comparable to that to the first. No infant required a third exposure. All the infants tolerated phototherapy well, none developing any illness that could be attributed to the treatment. This clinical experience shows that phototherapy for the treatment of non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia is effective and safe. © 1986, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.