A prospective randomized controlled study of phototherapy using blue and blue-green light-emitting devices, and conventional halogen-quartz phototherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of blue versus blue-green phototherapy using new light sources with narrow luminous spectra. The devices made of high-intensity gallium nitride light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were also compared to conventional halogen-quartz bulbs phototherapy.


METHODS
Prospective open randomized study.


METHODS
A total of 114 jaundiced, but otherwise healthy term infants who met the entry criteria for phototherapy set by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Practice Parameter.


METHODS
The duration of phototherapy and the rate of decrease in total serum bilirubin (TSB).


RESULTS
The mean TSB concentrations at initiation and termination of treatment, as well as the duration of phototherapy and the rate of decrease in TSB, were not statistically different in newborns receiving blue LED, blue-green LED or conventional phototherapy. The average rate of decrease in TSB (slope), after adjustment by a linear regression analysis for confounding factors, was -3.61 micromol/hour (95% confidence limits -5.47, -1.75) in the 25 newborns receiving blue LED phototherapy compared with -2.57 micromol/hour (-4.32, -0.82) in the 22 newborns treated with blue-green LED phototherapy and -3.42 micromol/hour (-5.02, -1.81) in the 57 newborns who received conventional phototherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
When using low light irradiance, there was no statistically significant difference in the effectiveness of phototherapy using blue-green LEDs, blue LEDs or conventional halogen-quartz bulbs.
Seidman
Daniel S
DS
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chain Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Moise
Jonathan
J
Ergaz
Zivanit
Z
Laor
Arie
A
Vreman
Hendrik J
HJ
Stevenson
David K
DK
Gale
Rena
R
D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000628:therapy*; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies
D001663:Bilirubin