Phototherapy for Neonatal Jaundice: How Light Therapy Works

Phototherapy---light therapy---is the most common treatment for neonatal jaundice, a condition caused by elevated levels of bilirubin in the blood.

Bilirubin Breakdown

• Jaundice occurs when a newborn infant's liver can't process bilirubin. Phototherapy aids this process. According to the National Institutes of Health's MedlinePlus, the baby's body absorbs the light, helping break down and eliminate the bilirubin.

Bili Lamps

• Blue fluorescent "bili" lamps give off a special light that helps break down bilirubin, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The baby, naked except for eye protection and perhaps a diaper, lies under the lamps.

Biliblanket

• The biliblanket provides a more convenient approach to phototherapy. It's a fiberoptic pad placed directly on the baby's skin to deliver light, according to University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's and Women's Hospital. The biliblanket makes it easy to provide phototherapy at home.

Side Effects

• Phototherapy can last for several days. During that time, the baby's bowel movements will be loose.

Considerations

• Most newborns have some form of jaundice, which gives them a slight yellowish tint. But only a few babies require treatment, according to MedlinePlus.