Some side effects of neonatal jaundice

The article is professionally consulted by Doctor Nguyen Hung Tien - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Neonatal jaundice is one of the most effective, economical, safe and easy to implement measures to treat jaundice. However, there may still be some side effects of phototherapy that affect the health of babies that we need to be aware of.

Phototherapy is one of the most common methods currently used to treat indirect hyperbilirubinemia in neonates. The method of irradiation with jaundice uses white or blue light with a wavelength of 400-480 nm to shine on the body of the newborn, penetrates the skin layer and then subcutaneous fat to convert indirect bilirubin into Photobilirubin capable of Water-soluble, non-toxic to children and can be eliminated by the liver or kidney.
Indications for neonatal jaundice irradiation are given when the child has symptoms of indirect hyperbilirubinemia without signs of neurotoxicity, or used to prevent cases of pediatric patients at risk of jaundice such as premature.
Jaundice irradiation is not applied to jaundiced children with direct elevation of bilirubin. During the process of irradiating the jaundice light and after, it is necessary to monitor the child's factors such as the child's weight, nutrition, jaundice status, neurological symptoms, blood glucose levels, and bilirubin levels. blood, electrolytes to promptly detect the side effects of yellow light therapy and promptly handle them.

Although it is one of the most effective methods, there are still side effects of yellow light that doctors as well as parents need to pay attention to to detect as quickly as possible.
Because blue light shines directly on the child's skin, this method may leave side effects such as temperature disturbances, the child's body temperature may experience abnormalities such as rising or falling lower than with normal levels. In addition, the child is also more irritable, it is possible that the stool will be looser.
Blue light with a wavelength of 400-500nm, peaking at 450-460nm can cause a child's skin to become red or bronze-skinned. A side effect of phototherapy that cannot be ignored is that it damages the eyes of the child. It is for this reason that in the technical process of newborn jaundice, people often cover the child's eyes with a bandage. dark cloth to avoid this situation.
When blue light shines on the body for a long time, especially the genital area of ​​the child, it can also lead to testicular atrophy. Therefore, people often use diapers or diapers to bring the baby during the newborn jaundice light to prevent testicular atrophy.
Dehydration is also one of the common side effects of phototherapy. For this condition, parents will be consulted by the treating doctor about the baby's diet as well as appointing rehydration fluids, with the level of water needed to provide children increase by more than 15%-20% per day.
In addition to the side effects of yellow light exposure above, the exposure of high-intensity light to infants for a long time can also lead to burns in children, so it is necessary to ensure a safe distance. from the illuminator to the pediatric patient at about 30-50cm to limit the side effects of yellow light exposure.
In addition to the distance issue, the duration of neonatal jaundice must also meet the standards, and when the clinical jaundice is reduced and the bilirubin concentration falls to normal levels, the yellowing of the skin should be stopped. prescribed by the doctor to limit the complications of this method as soon as possible.
Although there are certain advantages such as simplicity, ease of implementation, high efficiency and reasonable price, the method of neonatal jaundice should be performed as prescribed by a doctor at medical facilities. reputable medical institution, has adequate machinery and equipment to ensure light intensity, light wavelength, distance from lamp to child, standard lighting method, and time of lamp exposure, thereby minimizing the harmful effects. Side effects of phototherapy yellow skin.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment. Dr. Tien has more than 8 years of experience in the field of Internal Medicine - Neonatology, specializing in Emergency Resuscitation, Pediatric Cardiology, Neonatal Resuscitation. The doctor has been trained nationally and internationally such as: National Children's Hospital; the University of Sydney, Australia; Seoul National University, Korea before being a Resident Doctor of Pediatrics - Neonatology at Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital as it is now.