Phototherapy is a treatment that is used on newborn babies diagnosed with jaundice; this uses a special type of light to lower the levels of bilirubin in a baby's blood through a process known as photo-oxidation.
A baby’s temperature is monitored to make sure that baby is not getting too hot and is also checked for dehydration signs during phototherapy. In case if baby is becoming dehydrated and is unable to drink enough, intravenous fluids may be required.
In order to check that phototherapy treatment is working or not, the bilirubin levels are tested every 4-6 hours. As soon as baby’s bilirubin levels are stable or begin to fall, they are checked for every 6-12 hours.
When the bilirubin level falls to a specific level, phototherapy will be stopped.
Although a baby may have side effects such as rash and diarrhea, phototherapy is very effective for newborn jaundice.
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