Continuous versus intermittent phototherapy in treatment of neonatal jaundice: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Phototherapy (PT) is a widely used treatment for neonatal jaundice, yet the ideal model of application remains controversial. In this study, the effects of continuous phototherapy (CPT) and intermittent phototherapy (IPT) models were compared in the treatment of neonatal indirect hyperbilirubinemia (IHB) and whether IPT is a superior modality is investigated. Single-centre parallel randomized controlled open label trial. A computer-based table of random numbers was used to allocate treatments. Newborns >= 34 weeks' gestation who received phototherapy in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) between July 2022 and April 2023 were included. CPT was applied continuously for 6 h, and IPT was applied as 2 cycles of 1 h on and 2 h off in a 6-h session. Rebound TSB was measured 8 h after phototherapy was stopped in both groups. Phototherapy duration, TSB reduction rate and rebound bilirubin rate were compared between intervention groups. One hundered and four neonates met the inclusion criteria during the study period. CPT and IPT were each used in 52 newborns. Demographic characteristics of the study groups, including sex, mode of delivery, birth weight, admission weight, age at postnatal presentation, diet, discharge weight, and history of PT in siblings, were similar (p > 0.05). The most common cause of IHB in both groups was ABO incompatibility. The median phototherapy time was 12 h (6-15) in the CPT group and 4 h (2-4) in the IPT group (p < 0.001). The mean rate of bilirubin decrease was 1.12 +/- 0.73 mg/dl/h in those who underwent IPT and 0.51 +/- 0.33 mg/dl/h in those who underwent CPT (p < 0.001). The mean rebound bilirubin rate 8 h after phototherapy was 0.08 +/- 0.28 mg/dl/h in the CPT group, and -0.01 +/- 0.17 mg/dl/h in the IPT group (p = 0.039). The length of hospital stay was longer in the CPT group (p = 0.032). Skin rash, diarrhoea and increased body temperature were less frequent in the IPT group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In this study, IPT was found to be at least as effective as CPT in reducing total serum bilirubin. Even though the duration of PT is shorter in IPT, the slower rate of rebound bilirubin, shorter hospital stays and lower incidence of side effects indicated that intermittent phototherapy is superior to continuous phototherapy. Choosing IPT over CPT is a more rational approach in neonatal jaundice.