Comparison of intermittent versus continuous phototherapy and position change effect on treatment of term newborns with jaundice

Background: hyperbilirubinemia is a common problem of neonatal period and phototherapy serves as the effective method in treatment. Despite its worldwide application, there are many unanswered questions regarding enhancement of its efficacy. The aim of present study was the comparison of intermittent versus continuous phototherapy and position change effect on treatment of term newborns with jaundice

Methods: A clinical randomized controlled trial was performed during a 17 months at NICU of Imam Reza's hospital in Kermanshah. Eighteen jaundiced neonates were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The neonates were randomized into three groups receiving different regimens of phototherapy. Group I was treated with continuous single phototherapy in supine position during phototherapy. Group II received intermittent single phototherapy without change position, and group ΙII received continuous single phototherapy with changing position. Total and direct serum bilirubin levels were measured every 12 hours after starting phototherapy. Phototherapy was continued until the serum bilirubin level declined to less than 13mg/dl. The data was analyzed using t-test and ANOVA tests.

Results: There was no statiscally significant difference between sex, birth weight and other variables within three groups. The mean duration of phototherapy was 47.5h in group I, 51.6h in   group II and 39.3h in group III. There was no significant difference for the duration of  phototherapy between the three groups  (p=0.18).

Conclusion: We can conclude that an intermittent single phototherapy was as effective as continuous single phototherapy in treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in the term newborns.