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. 2003 Nov;88(6):F459–F463. doi: 10.1136/fn.88.6.F459

Treatment of jaundice in low birthweight infants

M Maisels, J Watchko
PMCID: PMC1763233  PMID: 14602690

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Figure 1 .

Figure 1

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Number of infants in different populations with birth weight < 1500 g who received exchange transfusions between 1974 and 1997. Note 1: a total of 215 newborns < 1500 g in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHHD) cooperative phototherapy trial assigned to the control group (did not receive phototherapy). Seventy seven of 215 patients (35.8%) received a total of 161 exchange transfusions. In the phototherapy group, 17 of 196 (8.7%) infants received exchange transfusions. These data are included to illustrate the frequency of exchange transfusion before the introduction of phototherapy.16 Note 2: of a total of 1338 live births < 1500 g in the Netherlands (1983), 37 infants (2.8%) required at least one exchange transfusion.59 Note 3: of 833 live births (500–1500 g) in a 17 county region in North Carolina, two infants required an exchange transfusion (0.24%).10 Note 4: no exchange transfusions were performed in 1213 live births < 1500 g at William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI between 1988 and 1997.11

Figure 2 .

Figure 2

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Relation between average spectral irradiance and decrease in serum bilirubin concentration. Full term infants with non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia were exposed to special blue lights (Phillips TL 52/20 W) of different intensities. Spectral irradiance was measured as the average of readings at the head, trunk, and knees. Drawn from the data of Tan.40

Figure 3 .

Figure 3

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Effect of light source and distance from the light source to the infant on average spectral irradiance. Measurements were made across the 425–475 nm band using a commercial radiometer (Olympic Bilimeter Mark II). The phototherapy unit was fitted with eight 24 inch fluorescent tubes. Curves were plotted using linear curve fitting (True Epistat; Epistat Services, Richardson, Texas, USA). The best fit is described by the equation y = AeBx.12

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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