The first journey of life-Use of neonatal phototherapy unit for newborns

The baby's skin was pink and tender when he was born. It was so cute! But within a few days of birth, the skin gradually began to turn yellow, and in severe cases, it even became a "little yellow person". Do parents understand the reasons for this change in the baby? By the way, this skin change is mainly caused by neonatal jaundice. Let's learn about jaundice and its treatment.

1. Introduction to neonatal jaundice

Jaundicus is a clinical sign of elevated bilirubin concentrations in the blood. Newborn skin has a yellow appearance due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the skin, mucosa and conjunctiva.

This phenomenon is common among newborns. There are usually many causes of neonatal jaundice, and multiple causes often exist at the same time. For example, blood type incompatibility between mother and child causes red blood cells to be destroyed and excessive bilirubin production; neonatal asphyxia and hypoxia damage liver function and affect bilirubin conversion, and even hypothermia, bleeding, infection, drugs, etc. can be caused.

2. Classification of jaundice

Physiological jaundice: Generally no special treatment is required. It usually occurs within 2-3 days after birth and peaks in 4-5 days. The degree of jaundice varies. Full-term infants generally resolve within 2 weeks, and premature infants may be delayed to 3-4 weeks.

Pathological jaundice: It is serious and requires timely monitoring and treatment.

Breast milk jaundice: It is a special type of jaundice and is divided into two conditions:

Early-onset breast milk jaundice

It occurs within one week after birth in breastfed infants. The appearance time and peak time of jaundice are similar to those of physiological jaundice, but the peak value of serum bilirubin is higher than that of physiological jaundice, and the resolution time is also later than that of physiological jaundice. It is mainly caused by failure of breastfeeding. The newborn is in a state of dehydration and nutritional deficiency, and the excretion of meconium is delayed, which causes jaundice.

Delayed breast milk jaundice

The clinical appearance is relatively late, often after 1 week after birth (7 - 14 days), or it can worsen after physiological jaundice is alleviated, and serum total bilirubin exceeds the physiological range.

3. Why should we use light therapy?

When newborns 'serum total bilirubin (TSB) levels reach a certain threshold, phototherapy becomes a key non-invasive the*utic intervention.

If appropriate treatment is not provided in a timely manner, excessive bilirubin concentrations in the blood may cause irreversible damage to the central nervous system, which in turn may lead to bilirubin encephalopathy. This serious disease can lead to serious sequelae such as neonatal death.

4. Use of blue light boxes

The effect of phototherapy mainly depends on: the wavelength of light, the intensity of light, and the body surface area of the newborn exposed to phototherapy.

When using blue light boxes, we make sure that your baby's skin is fully exposed. The baby will be placed in a blue light box with a temperature controlled at 30-32 ° C, which provides a comfortable environment for the baby. A set of blue lights with a wavelength of about 425-475nm are arranged above and below the blue box. The distance between the lights is about 25-35cm away from the baby, allowing the baby to enjoy the "sunbathing" while converting bilirubin in the body from fat-soluble to water-soluble, thereby being excreted through urine and bile.

5. Baby safety protection

During the use of the neonatal phototherapy unit, it’s important to the safety and protection of babies.

Before the baby check-in: We will lay a soft bedspread in the blue light box and place a comfortable U-shaped pillow on the inside of the bedspread to provide the baby with a sense of wrapping and security while not affecting the lighting effect. We will also measure the baby's body temperature and weight, and carefully check the skin condition to ensure that the baby is in good physical condition.

Eye protection: Wear a phototherapy eye mask for your baby to protect his eyes from strong light stimulation, and replace the eye mask every day to ensure that the eyes are clean and reduce the growth of bacteria.

Skin protection: Use phototherapy diapers to protect your * from light, and change the diaper every 4 hours to keep it clean and comfortable. Apply a hydrocolloid dressing to the joints and bone carina, and wear gloves and socks to prevent skin damage in all aspects and ensure that the phototherapy process is safe and worry-free.

During the baby's stay: The nurse will frequently inspect the box to observe the temperature of the box, the baby's vital signs and the skin condition of the whole body. When the baby cries seriously, give appropriate comfort and dry milk stains, sweat, etc. in time to avoid affecting the effect of phototherapy.

The neonatal phototherapy unit weaves a warm "light cocoon" for the baby to protect them from jaundice. After understanding the use of phototherapy boxes, I believe parents can also reduce anxiety. Let us work together to help the baby transform smoothly and start a new journey in life healthily.