Bilirubin Lights

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Bilirubin is a substance that is secreted by the liver when there is high concentration of Red Blood cells in the body. Bilirubin is a pigment that gives out a yellow tinge on the skin and the whites of the eye. This is very common in patients suffering from jaundice as well as children with neonatal jaundice.

Neonatal jaundice is very common among premature babies and newborns all over the world. While this condition is not serious, if left untreated, it can cause severe eye, hearing as well as brain damage. This is why infants are all checked for jaundice before they discharge them home.

Bilirubin lights are blue lights at 420 to 470 nm. These help the bilirubin to get excreted in the urine and excreta. A baby with jaundice is typically placed under the blue light, wearing nothing but a small diaper.  This light needs to penetrate the skin for it to work. Prolonged use of these lights may cause retinal atrophy, which is why glasses are used to protect the baby’s eye from damage.

Most hospitals will check for neonatal jaundice before they allow you to take your baby home. If they do find out that your baby may be suffering from jaundice, they will most probably put him through this blue light therapy called photo therapy.

In addition, they will keep monitoring your baby’s RBC levels and only permit you to take him home once he is okay. On the other hand, if your baby’s Bilirubin levels do not come down, they will do something known as Exchange transfusion, which is taking out blood and replacing it with blood without Bilirubin. However, this is only done in very severe cases.

You can treat Jaundice at home, the Bili lights can either be bought or loaned through agencies associated with the hospital, or the hospital themselves. They will usually guide you on how to use it and how to monitor your baby as well as when you will need to let the professionals take over. This is great for some parents who hate to see their little one in the cold environments of a hospital.

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