Bili light
High levels of bilirubin can cause brain damage (kernicterus), leading to cerebral palsy, auditory neuropathy, gaze abnormalities and dental enamel hypoplasia.
A biliblanket consists of a fiber-optic blanket designed to transfer the light from a lamp unit all around the baby's body, and is more commonly used at home.
Jaundice (Hyperbilirubinemia) is common in newborn babies and presents itself as yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (sclera).
[5] This condition also causes babies to appear sick, experience difficulty waking up, make high-pitch cries, or not be able to be fed or gain weight.
[medical citation needed] Bilirubin is an orange yellow bile pigment that is produced as a byproduct of hemoglobin as red blood cells break down (hemolysis).
[8] If acute bilirubin encephalopathy is not addressed promptly, Kernicterus syndrome can develop and cause permanent brain damage.
It uses a pad of woven fibers to transfer light to a baby in order to treat neonatal jaundice (hyperbilirubimia).
[11] The biliblanket releases waves of blue or white light, when these are absorbed in the skin, bilirubin breaks down and is eliminated from the baby's blood stream.
Phototherapy uses photons of energy that are infused and absorbed by bilirubin located in superficial capillaries and subcutaneous tissues and interstitial spaces of the skin.
[6] One common side effect that is experienced by babies who are receiving phototherapy treatment is more frequent and loose stools.
[10] More severe long term side effects are very rare or non existent but there could be a correlation with conditions such as allergy/asthma, patent ductus arteriosus and retinopathy of prematurity.
[citation needed] It is important to make sure that the light-source machine is placed on a flat, level, hard surface such as a table or nightstand to ensure proper ventilation.
[20][21] Other advantages of the biliblanket are that it can be easily transported, can be used when the baby is sleeping, eating, and or being held, and promotes a relationship between parents and infants since they do not need to be separated during treatment.
[19] In 1956, Sister Ward, a nurse at Rochford General Hospital in Essex, England, discovered that a jaundiced infant's body had regained its normal skin color after exposure to the sun.
This discovery, along with findings that blood tubes exposed to the sun showed a decrease in bilirubin concentrations, drove research and development of the first phototherapy device for treatment of neonatal jaundice.
The conventional form of phototherapy has been performed in the hospital for more than thirty years and requires the presence of multiple overhead light sources, such as halogen or fluorescent lamps, shining directly on the baby.
[citation needed] With advances in technology, novel forms of phototherapy emerged using optical fibers and a light source.
