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Follow-up study of phototreated fullterm newborns
Insights
Phototherapy for newborns is safe long-term. A 3-year follow-up found no developmental, neurological, or vision issues in infants treated with phototherapy compared to controls when eyes were shielded.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric medicine
- Developmental pediatrics
Background:
- Neonatal jaundice is common and often treated with phototherapy.
- Concerns exist regarding potential long-term adverse effects of phototherapy.
- Previous studies have yielded mixed results on phototherapy's safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the long-term safety of phototherapy in infants.
- To evaluate developmental, neurological, and ophthalmological outcomes at age 3.
- To compare outcomes between infants treated with phototherapy and a control group.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 41 infants receiving phototherapy and 42 controls were followed up at age 3.
- Comprehensive assessments included pediatric, ophthalmological, and psychological examinations.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings and laboratory tests were performed.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in growth and development between the groups.
- Neurological, ophthalmological, and social maturity assessments showed no disparities.
- EEG recordings and laboratory determinations were comparable in both groups.
Conclusions:
- Phototherapy appears to have no harmful long-term effects in children.
- These findings are contingent on adequate eye shielding during treatment.
- Further research may explore specific subgroups or treatment parameters.
Abstract:
A follow-up study including examinations made by a paediatrician, an ophthalmologist and a psychologist and complemented with EEG-recordings and a number of laboratory determinations was performed at the age of 3 years on 41 children who had received phototherapy during the first week of life and on 42 control children of the same age. No differences were found in growth, development, social maturity, neurological or ophthalmologic disorders, EEG-recordings or laboratory determinations between both groups. It seems unlikely that phototherapy causes any harmful longterm effects provided that the eyes are shielded.