Abstract:
About 1 out of 2 of term and 8 out of 10 of preterm babies develop jaundice,which generally appears 2 to 4 days after birth, and resolves spontaneously after 7-14 days. In most infants with physiological jaundice bilirubin levels do not rise to a point that requires treatment. However, in some infants with exaggerated physiological jaundice, and in many infants with pathological jaundice, bilirubin in the blood reaches very high levels that put the infant at risk for acute and chronic encephalopathy (kernicterus). In these cases, treatment aimed at decreasing bilirubin level is required in order to avoid kernicterus. Effective treatments to decrease serum bilirubin levels with severe jaundice include phototherapy and exchange transfusion.
Key words: Keywords: Phototherapy, newborn, preterm infants, side effects.
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