This is a portable phototherapy device for the treatment of neonatal jaundice (hyperbilirubinemia).
The name is a combination of bilirubin and blanket.
Biliblanket consists of a fiber-optic pad (A), a cable connector (B), and a light generating box ©.
What is Jaundice?
Jaundice is a common, temporary. and usually harmless condition in newborn infants.
It affects both full-term and premature babies, usually appearing during the first week of the baby’s life.
Jaundice occurs when there is a build-up of a naturally occurring substance in the blood called bilirubin . Bilirubin is an orange/red pigment in the blood. Bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells. It is normal for everyone to have low levels of bilirubin in their blood. As bilirubin begins to build up, it deposits on the fatty tissue under the skin causing the baby’s skin and whites of the baby’s eyes to appear yellow.
What is the Treatment?
High levels of bilirubin can occur in the blood called hyperbilirubinemia. These high levels can be dangerous to a baby. It is important to obtain periodic blood samples to check the bilirubin levels and, if necessary, to treat jaundice to ensure the healthy development of your child. Feeding your baby every 2- 3 hours is recommended to reduce the jaundice levels. If you are breastfeeding, supplementation (ex. with formula via cup feeding, supplemental feeder, or bottle) may be recommended by your pediatrician if the bilirubin will not come down with frequent feedings. Phototherapy with or without a biliblanket is the most common form of treatment for jaundice. This treatment is used for a few days until the liver is mature enough to handle the bilirubin on its own.
What is Phototherapy?
Some “normal” jaundice will disappear within a week or two without treatment. Other babies will require treatment because of the severity of the jaundice, the cause of the jaundice, or how old the baby is when jaundice appears.
Phototherapy (light treatment) is the process of using light to eliminate bilirubin in the blood. Your baby’s skin and blood absorb these light waves. These light waves are absorbed by your baby’s skin and blood and change bilirubin into products, which can pass through their system.
For over 30 years, phototherapy treatment in the hospital has been provided by a row of lights or a spotlight suspended at a distance form a baby. This would provide light shining directly on an undressed baby (with diaper on) whose eyes would need protection from the light with soft eye patches applied.
Other names used are home phototherapy system, bilirubin blanket, or phototherapy blanket.
Biliblankets offer the possibility of treating some degrees of jaundice at home as long as the baby is otherwise healthy. This makes them quite popular with parents, doctors, and insurance companies, who would otherwise have to pay for more expensive inpatient treatment. Some also consider it a better option because the newborn does not have to be separated from the parents and does not need to lie alone in a box with his or her eyes covered.
Side Effects of Using Phototherapy?
Babies under any type of phototherapy treatment will have frequent and loose bowel movements that are sometimes greenish in color. This is normal since this is the way the body removes the bilirubin. This is temporary and stops when treatment is completed.
How Does A BiliBlanket Work?
BiliBlankets exert a blue/white light of varying intensity that permeates through a light fabric. The baby is placed close to or on the blanket during treatment. This light helps break down high levels of bilirubin in the bloodstream, which causes the discoloration of baby’s skin.
The whole setup consists of the light generator, termed the light box, the fibre-optic cable through which the light is carried and the light pad, which is a 25cmx13cm (10"x5") pad that’s attached to the baby.