Antioxidant defense systems in newborns undergoing phototherapy

This paper was designed to investigate whether phototherapy is an oxidative stress in newborn infants undergoing phototherapy. A day-light continuous phototherapy was given to jaundiced 20 term and 16 preterm newborns for 72 hours. We measured serum vitamin E and the activities of red blood cell anti-oxidation enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) before and after 72 h of phototherapy. Serum vitamin E levels were not different before and after 72 h of phototherapy in both preterm and term infants. In several studies, antioxidant enzyme activities have been shown to increase in response to oxidative stresses. In this study, however, the antioxidant enzyme activities in the hemolysate were similar before and at the end of the phototherapy in both preterm and full term. In conclusion, the results of our in vivo study do not confirm the thesis that phototherapy is an oxidative stress in newborn infants. Therefore, phototherapy would preferably seem to be safe and efficient method of treatment for all neonates presenting with hyperbilirubinemia.