This study goal is to compare the effectiveness of flurescent (F) and halogen (H) phototherapy for preterm newborn infants (PT NB) with birthweight(BW) ≤2000g.

F (six blue lamps - irradiance of 4μW/cm2/nm) or H (one quartzo-halogen lamp - irradiance of 25μW/cm2/nm) phototherapy was randomly assigned to 117 PT NB, according to BW: 23 infants with 501 to 1000g (12 F and 11 H), 48 infants with 1001 to 1500g (24 F and 24 H) and 46 infants with 1501 to 2000g(23 F and 23 H). In PT NB≤1500g, prophylatic phototherapy was started at 6h of life regardless of the total bilirubinemia (TB) and it was interrupted at 120 h of life if TB ≤5mg/dL. In 1501 to 2000g NB, phototherapy was initiated at TB of 8-10 mg/dL and discontinued at TB 6-8 mg/dL. Effectiveness was evaluated by serial TB measurements, treatment failure rate and phototherapy duration. Failure was considered when TB > 10mg/dL in the 501 to 1000g group, TB > 1% of BW in 1001 to 2000g PT NB, direct bilirubin > 2mg/dL or death. Side effects of F an H phototherapy were evaluated for each BW group. Mann-Whitney, Kaplan-Meier and association tests were used for statistical analysis. Significance was considered for p value ≤0.05.

TB values observed every 12h during the study were similar for F and H phototherapy in the three BW groups. The weight loss was larger in the 501 to 1000g group, the frequency of hyperthermia and the fluid need was higher in the 1501 to 2000g infants that received H phototherapy. Table

Table 1 No caption available.
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Both phototherapies are similary effective in blunting PT NB hyperbilirubinemia, althought preterm infants submitted to H type presented more side effects.