Effect of Infant's Position during Phototherapy on the Level of Serum Bilirubin

Position changing of the infants during conventional phototherapy for hyper bilirubinemia is used in many hospitals. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of phototherapy in supine versus supine/prone position during phototherapy.

In a randomized clinical trial 40 term jaundiced neonates who were admitted to the neonatal ward of Mofid Children Hospital, a university Hospital affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran were Selected. After entry into the study, infants were randomly assigned two groups: turning group were positioned alternately supine to prone every 6 hours and supine group were only positioned supine. Total serum bilirubin (TSB) were measured just prior to initiation and during 24 hours of phototherapy.

No statistically significant differences in TSB after 24 hours were observed between two groups. But decrease in TSB was significantly associated with position change. Decrease in serum bilirubin level was greater in infants with position change after 24 hour.

According to results changing the position of term infants with hyperbilirubinemia during phototherapy could increase the efficacy of this treatment.