Hyperbilirubinemia in the healthy, term neonate is the most common reason for prolonged hospitalization. Expense, separation from a nursing mother, imparting a sense of illness to the infant, and disrupting such processes as "bonding" are all drawbacks to in-hospital
phototherapy. Home
Phototherapy Associates in Colorado Springs, Colorado has treated 260 newborns from April 1982 to February 1985. The infants treated by home
phototherapy averaged 0.81 days of hospital
phototherapy before being discharged to home
phototherapy for an average of 2.44 days. Average
bilirubin on entry into home
phototherapy was 14.19 mg/dl and 10.97 mg/dl when discontinued. The average age upon entering home
phototherapy was 3.97 days. Home
phototherapy was ordered at the discretion of the private physician. Parents were given verbal and written instructions on care of the jaundiced newborn, kept a record of their baby's progress and signed a consent form. There have been no complications in 260 newborns treated at home. There were 17
rehospitalizations. Home
phototherapy is an effective and safe alternative to prolonged hospitalization for the healthy, full-term newborn with
jaundice. Parental satisfaction has been nearly 100 percent. The average daily decrement in
bilirubin is comparable with that reported by others for in-hospital
phototherapy. The cost savings, uninterrupted "bonding" process, and the ability to keep mother and child united are some of the observable benefits.