title: Intermittent versus continuous phototherapy for the treatment of neonatal non-hemolytic moderate hyperbilirubinemia in infants more than 34 weeks of gestational age: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Intermittent phototherapy with "12 h on and then 12 h off" schedule in comparison with continuous phototherapy for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia may save costs and decrease anxiety of parents. In this non-inferiority-randomized controlled trial, healthy late preterm (>34 weeks) and term neonates with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia under phototherapy for 8 h and total serum bilirubin (TSB) < 18 mg/dL were randomized either into intermittent (IPT) or continuous (CPT) group. Infants in IPT group received 12 h on and 12 h off cycles of phototherapy. In both arms, phototherapy was continued until TSB < 13 mg/dL. Primary outcome was rate of fall of bilirubin. Seventy-five infants (IPT n = 36 vs. CPT n = 39) were enrolled in the study. The rate of fall of bilirubin was significantly higher with "IPT" phototherapy (p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In term and late preterm infants with non-hemolytic moderate hyperbilirubinemia, intermittent phototherapy with 12 h on and 12 h off cycles is as efficacious as continuous phototherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Fernandez Hospital, Hyderguda, Hyderabad, India, 500029, dr_monica06@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sachdeva
authors.forename: Srinivas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murki
authors.forename: Tejo Pratap
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Oleti
authors.forename: Hemasree
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kandraju
mesh_terms: D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D051556:Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001663:Bilirubin