Comparison of Effect of Using Double Phototherapy and Single Phototherapy in Treatment of Non-Hemolytic Icterus in Newborns

Icterus is one of the common problems in newborn which may cause nervous damage, mental retardation and even death in case of failure in immediate treatment. Phototherapy is one of the common treatments for reducing bilirubin in newborns. This article compares the effect of using double phototherapy and single phototherapy for treatment of non-hemolytic icterus in newborns.This clinical trial study was conducted on 80 non-hemolytic icteric newborns hospitalized in neonatal ward of Tehran Javaheri Hospital in 2010-11. They were randomly divided into two 40-member groups: one group was treated by single and another by doublephototherapy. The phototherapy duration and level of serum bilirubin before and during phototherapy and 48 hours after discharge were analyzed. Data were analyzed by independent T-test and Chi-square test.There was no significant statistical difference between two groups in terms of average age, gender, birth weight and the level of serum bilirubin before phototherapy. The average reduction of serum bilirubin after 24 and 48 hours was 2.8±1.4 mg/dl and 5.79±1.98 mg/dl in the single phototherapy group, and 3.3±1.7 mg/dl and 6.11±2.21 mg/dl in double phototherapy group and this difference was not statistically significant. Average duration of phototherapy was 52.5±13.6 hours in single and 48.03±12.2 hours in double phototherapy, but this difference was not statistically significant. Although the reduction rate of serum bilirubin in double phototherapy was more than single phototherapy 24 and 48 hours after beginning and the duration of phototherapy was less but this difference was not significant statistically. In non-hemolytic icterus which is not severe, using double phototherapy does not have more effect than single while it doubles the costs and energy consumption.