How Neonatal Phototherapy for Babies Works

Neonatal phototherapy is the most common treatment used to decrease high bilirubin levels that lead to jaundice in newborn babies.

In the standard form of phototherapy, the baby is placed in an enclosed plastic incubator and is exposed to a special type of fluorescent light that is absorbed by the baby's skin. As a result of this process, the bilirubin in the baby's body is changed into another form that can be more easily excreted in the stool and urine.