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.

A jaundiced baby may need to stay under a phototherapy light for several days.

During neonatal phototherapy:

• The baby is undressed, so that as much of the skin as possible is exposed to the light.
• An incubator with a heat control thermostat is used to maintain the correct body temperature.
• The baby's eyes are covered to protect the nerve layer at the back of the eye (retina) from the bright light.
• Feeding continues on a regular schedule and breast-feeding is encouraged.
• The bilirubin level is measured at least once a day.

Potential problems that can transpire as a result of this standard form of neonatal phototherapy include:

• Burns similar to sunburn (from the intense light), skin rashes, and tanning.
• Damage to the nerve layer at the back of the eye (retina), if the eyes are not properly protected.
• Dehydration, if the infant does not receive adequate fluids when feeding.
• Difficulty in maintaining the proper body temperature.

Another type of neonatal phototherapy is a fiber-optic blanket or band. These devices wrap around a baby and can be used at home. Although fiber-optic phototherapy has been shown to reduce bilirubin levels, it takes longer than conventional phototherapy done in a hospital setting. It can be a good alternative for babies with mild jaundice who are otherwise healthy.

MedWOW, the global, multilingual new and used medical equipment portal, provides a good selection of complete neonatal phototherapy systems, as well as neonatal phototherapy parts. With a large number of neonatal phototherapy units to choose from, you are likely to find exactly what you are looking for and at a price your healthcare facility can fit into the budget. For example, if you are specifically looking for a Photo Therapeutics Inc Aesthera PPX neonatal phototherapy unit, a Bosch Radarmed 12S150 neonatal phototherapy unit or a Draeger Air-Shields Micro-Lite neonatal phototherapy unit, there are many to choose from in MedWOW’s global dealers’ inventories.

If it happens that the specific baby bilirubin phototherapy device you require is not listed, simply post a free buying request on MedWOW, and as thousands of dealers enter the portal on a daily basis, chances are good that it will be seen by dealers who have your required neonatal phototherapy in their inventory and will send you competitive quotes.