The Effects of Phototherapy in Preterm Infants Pda
The Effects of Phototherapy in Preterm Infants Pda
The study was designed to assess whether chest shielding during phototherapy reduces the
 incidence of PDA, as assessed by serial echocardiographic examinations, in a population of
 extremely preterm infants born at lower 30 week gestation.
Phototherapy is a therapeutic intervention frequently used for management of neonatal
 hyperbilirubinaemia in extremely premature infants, especially in the first week when patency
 of the ductus is a clinical problem. Phototherapy has also been implicated in increased
 ductal patency. One randomized, controlled trial showed that chest shielding during
 phototherapy reduced the incidence and severity of PDA by 50% in preterm infants. These
 findings were mainly based on clinical evaluation of the ductus with echocardiographic
 studies performed only on a subgroup of infants noted to have a murmur on clinical
 examination.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Gestational week ≤ 30 weeks receiving phototherapy due to jaundice and infants who can
 perform echocardiography before and after treatment will be included in the study.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Babies with congenital heart disease.

 -  Infants with major structural anomalies and infants who can not undergo
 echocardiography before or after treatment.