A single fibreoptic phototherapy device is less effective at treating neonatal jaundice than conventional phototherapy, except in preterm infants in whom it is equally effective.
Newborn infants often develop jaundice, which is concerning as unconjugated serum bilirubin can damage the developing brain. Since the 1960s, jaundice has been treated with phototherapy, for which the infants have to be naked in a crib with their eyes covered. Fibreoptic phototherapy is a new type of phototherapy in which the light is applied directly to the skin of the infant via optical fibres, enabling the infants to be nursed fully clothed near to their parents. This review has shown that fibreoptic phototherapy is less effective than conventional phototherapy, except in preterm infants in whom it is equally effective.