Why pregnant women should avoid use of insecticides, insect repellants
BiliLux LED Phototherapy Light System From Dräger
The BiliLux is a compact and lightweight LED phototherapy light system for the treatment of neonatal jaundice. It provides superior phototherapy performance, individualized therapy with electronic documentation capabilities and the flexibility for seamless integration into practically every workplace.
BenefitsSuperior phototherapy with even and broad irradiance distribution
Phototherapy is effectively used for treating neonatal hyperbilirubinemia: The BiliLux phototherapy light has its irradiance peaks in the most effective wavelength range to reduce the bilirubin which is 460-490 nm. By achieving extremely high irradiance levels, the BiliLux fullfills the requirements of the American Academy of Prediatrics (AAP). In addition, the irradiance can be dimmed in 5 steps to provide the adequate therapy for the patient. The phototherapy light features a large surface area to cover full term and premature babies. The irradiance is evenly distributed over the entire mattress to ensure superior phototherapy.
Seamless workplace integration for more flexibility
The BiliLux phototherapy light was designed for flexible use and seamless integration into the neonatal workplace. The phototherapy light can be placed on an incubator hood, mounted with the spring arm to warming therapy devices or ceiling supplies or used with a trolley. The BiliLux offers the perfect combination for every workplace. To simplify the process, the phototherapy light can be easily locked and unlocked by using the intuitive and safe quick-connect mechanism.
The BiliLux also features a white observation light to observe the baby between phototherapy sessions or to switch white light on during phototherapy to soften blue light.
Designed for a healthy and family-friendly environment
The family-friendly and compact design saves space around the neonatal workplace while simultaneously providing high irradiances to treat neonatal jaundice. The BiliLux is lightweight for easy handling and storage. And most important: it is soundless to ensure a calm and nuturing atmosphere for the baby, parents and caregivers.
Infection prevention – priority in our development
Hygiene and infection prevention is an important topic in the neonatal segment: the BiliLux was designed for easy and fast cleaning supported by smooth surfaces. Unlike some other phototherapy devices, the BiliLux does not have any ventilation slots or fans in order to improve infection prevention.
Individualized care and quality management – easy and safe
The optional BiliLux Radiometer is specifically designed for the phototherapy light and instantly measures the irradiance. By using the radiometer, the correct positioning of the baby under the phototherapy light and the adequate irradiance that the baby receives can be ensured. In addition, each measurement (incl. Date and time) and the phototherapy duration can be stored and downloaded in a phototherapy report e.G. For patient documentation or quality control purposes.
Electronic data transfer – for more efficient workflows
The phototherapy LED supports the hospital and clinical processes by providing the ability for electronic documentation. The electronic data transfer is much faster and less prone to errors. The work in the NICU becomes more efficient.
Understanding Hemolytic Anemia In Newborns
Hemolytic disease of the newborn is a type of anemia that begins during pregnancy. It can cause serious illness in a newborn, but it may be diagnosed during prenatal screening and treated to avoid complications.
Hemolytic anemia is low hemoglobin caused by the destruction of your red blood cells.
In newborns, hemolytic anemia can result from a mismatch between maternal and fetal blood types. This mismatch provokes the maternal immune system to attack fetal red blood cells.
The resulting hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) can cause your baby to develop anemia and jaundice. Symptoms can begin during pregnancy or after delivery, and range from mild to life threatening.
However, doctors can screen, identify, and closely monitor pregnancies at high risk of HDFN. Preventive therapy is also available for some blood group mismatches.
If your baby has been diagnosed with hemolytic disease of the newborn, effective treatment is available.
Learn more about hemolytic anemia.
When you're pregnant, some of your antibodies cross the placenta and enter your baby's bloodstream to help protect your newborn.
But if your baby has a different blood type than you, this can become a problem. In this case, your antibodies can attack your baby's red blood cells, causing hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN), also known as erythroblastosis fetalis.
We're all born with blood type O, A, B, or AB, determined by the antigen proteins on our red blood cells. Everyone's blood is also either positive or negative for the Rhesus (Rh) antigen. There are also many less-common blood group antigens.
ABO blood type mismatch occurs in up to 25% of pregnancies. But HDFN only develops in about 1% of these pregnancies, usually when birth parents with type O blood carry babies with blood type A or B. This type of HDFN is caused by pre-existing, naturally occurring anti-A or B antibodies found in people with type O blood.
Rh antigen mismatch happens when an Rh-negative parent carries an Rh-positive baby. In Rh mismatches, HDFN is triggered by fetomaternal hemorrhage. If even a tiny amount (as little as 0.1 mL) of Rh+ fetal blood enters the maternal bloodstream during the pregnancy or delivery, the maternal immune system can recognize it as foreign and begin producing antibodies against the baby's red blood cells.
To help prevent and monitor for HDFN, your doctor will test your blood type, Rh antigen, and red blood cell antibodies early in your pregnancy.
Symptoms of HDFN can appear during pregnancy or after birth.
During pregnancy, babies with HDFN can develop:
Newborns with HDFN might also have:
Jaundice is yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes caused by excess bilirubin in the bloodstream. Many healthy newborns develop mild jaundice.
But in HDFN, many red blood cells are bursting and rapidly releasing their bilirubin, so jaundice can quickly become severe. Left untreated, this can lead to neurologic complications (kernicterus).
During pregnancy, doctors will review your medical and obstetric history, determine your blood type, and check for pre-existing red blood cell antibodies that could affect your baby.
If your tests reveal a risk for HDFN, your doctors might:
If you have type O blood but otherwise normal prenatal testing, your baby's blood type and direct antibody test will still be checked shortly after birth to check for newborn hemolytic disease.
If your newborn develops symptoms of HDFN, doctors will monitor blood counts and bilirubin levels, and order further blood tests to clarify the diagnosis.
If your newborn has received a diagnosis of HDFN, doctors may recommend:
When HDFN is diagnosed prenatally, doctors will monitor using ultrasounds, amniocentesis, and fetal and maternal blood tests. Depending on severity, doctors might recommend:
Left untreated, HDFN can result in marked anemia and/or jaundice. In the most severe cases, this results in hydrops fetalis, organ failure (including heart failure), and brain damage.
The good news is that when HDFN is identified early and treated promptly, doctors can help manage any risks to your baby.
Some circumstances increase the risk of HDFN:
With advances in prenatal screening and treatment, the outlook is good for most babies with hemolytic disease.
Research has shown that 94% of fetuses diagnosed with HDFN will survive with treatment (including intrauterine transfusions). Even in cases with prenatal evidence of early hydrops fetalis, survival is 74%.
A 2023 study found that 22% of newborns with HDFN required phototherapy for jaundice, 1% required blood transfusion, and 0.5% required exchange transfusion or IVIg infusion.
What's the most common cause of hemolytic disease in newborns?Though it's declined since the advent of RhoGAM, Rh antigen incompatibility remains the most common cause of serious HDFN.
The number of people with Rh-negative blood types varies between countries around the globe ranging from 2.4% to 17%. With prenatal screening and RhoGAM treatment, about 1 per 3000 Rh-negative birthing parents still develop Rh antibodies, placing their future pregnancies at risk of HDFN.
The most common cause of HDFN overall is ABO blood group incompatibility. But because maternal A/B antibody levels can be low, and fetal red blood cells do not express A/B antigen at a high level, this type of HDFN is often milder.
Is hemolytic anemia of the newborn life threatening?Severe HDFN can lead to critical anemia and hydrops fetalis, which is a life threatening condition. However, treatment is readily available and can significantly reduce the risk to your baby.
Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) occurs during pregnancy when your antibodies cross the placenta and attack your baby's red blood cells. This process can be triggered by a variety of different blood antigen mismatches between you and your baby but is most often due to ABO or Rh incompatibility.
Signs and symptoms of HDFN can begin in utero or neonatally. They include fetal or newborn anemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and in severe cases, life threatening hydrops fetalis.
With prompt identification and treatment, the majority of babies with HDFN survive and thrive.
How To Tell If Your Newborn Has Jaundice
Sometimes newborn babies may develop a yellow coloring of the skin, eyes, tongue and palms. This is called jaundice. Newborn jaundice occurs when a baby has high levels of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow substance that the body creates when it replaces old red blood cells. The liver helps break down the substance so it can be removed from the body in the stool. Usually, the high levels of bilirubin make your baby's skin and whites of the eyes look yellow.
It is important to remember that, generally, a baby's bilirubin level is most often a bit higher after birth. During pregnancy, the placenta removes bilirubin from the baby's body. After birth, the baby's liver starts doing this job. Sometimes, it can take a while for the baby's liver to fully take on this task effectively, hence the generally higher bilirubin levels.
It has been observed that most newborn babies have some yellowing of the skin, called "physiological jaundice." It is harmless, and usually is worst when the baby is two to four days old. It goes away within two weeks and doesn't usually cause a problem. If the newborn is breastfed, two types of jaundice may occur, and both are usually harmless. These are breastfeeding jaundice and breast milk jaundice.
Severe harmful jaundice can occur in a baby with abnormal blood cell shapes or a blood type mismatch between the mother and the baby; or baby develops a large bleeding underneath the scalp (cephalohematoma) especially following difficult delivery; or a small-for-gestational-age baby or some twins with higher than normal levels of red blood cells; or infection; and/or lack of certain important enzymes.
Jaundice may also occur in situations which make it harder for the baby's body to remove bilirubin due to certain medications; congenital infections, such as rubella and syphilis; liver disease; low oxygen level; infections; and many different genetic or inherited disorders. Jaundice has also been observed more frequently in premature than in full-term babies.
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