title: Therapeutic effect of turquoise versus blue light with equal irradiance in preterm infants with jaundice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficiency of turquoise light with that of TL52 blue in treatment of preterm infants with jaundice at the same level of body irradiance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infants with gestational age 28-37 weeks and non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinemia were treated for 24 h with either turquoise light (OSRAM L18W/860 fluorescent lamps) or blue light (Philips TL20W/52 fluorescent lamps). The concentrations of serum total bilirubin and bilirubin isomers were measured by the Vitros routine method and by HPLC, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The decrease in serum concentrations of total bilirubin, total bilirubin isomers and the toxic Z,Z-bilirubin was greatest for infants treated with turquoise light. Further, the increase in Z,E-bilirubin was smaller and there was a trend towards a higher rise in E,Z-bilirubin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Turquoise light has a greater bilirubin reducing effect than TL52 blue light with equal irradiance, expressed both by serum total bilirubin, total bilirubin isomers and Z,Z-bilirubin, i.e. the turquoise spectral range is more efficient than the blue. This is in accordance with deeper penetration into the skin, lower production of the Z,E-bilirubin and greater production of E,Z-bilirubin and lumirubin, in infants under turquoise light. This suggests, given equal irradiances, that light in the turquoise spectral range is preferable to the TL52 blue in treatment of newborn jaundiced infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark. aas.gooj@nja.dk
authors.forename: Finn
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ebbesen
authors.forename: Poul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Støvring
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hundborg
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agati
mesh_terms: D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood*; D016500:Color Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D001663:Bilirubin