A prospective randomized controlled study of phototherapy using blue and blue-green light-emitting devices, and conventional halogen-quartz phototherapy

Daniel S. Seidman*, Jonathan Moise, Zivanit Ergaz, Arie Laor, Hendrik J. Vreman, David K. Stevenson, Rena Gale

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

74 Scopus citations

Abstract

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. Design: Prospective open randomized study. Participants: 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. Main Outcome Measures: 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 μmol/hour (95% confidence limits -5.47, -1.75) in the 25 newborns receiving blue LED phototherapy compared with -2.57 μmol/hour (-4.32, -0.82) in the 22 newborns treated with blue-green LED phototherapy and -3.42 μmol/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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)123-127
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Perinatology
Volume23
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2003

Funding

FundersFunder number
Mary L. Johnson Research Fund
Stanford University Office of Technology Licensing
National Institutes of Health
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentR01HD014426

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'A prospective randomized controlled study of phototherapy using blue and blue-green light-emitting devices, and conventional halogen-quartz phototherapy'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this