Jaundice: Avoid buying phototherapy lamps on social media

Pediatricians are cautioning parents against purchasing phototherapy lamps for infant jaundice from social media platforms, citing concerns over safety and effectiveness.

Dr. Yong Junina Fadzil, a pediatrician, explained that professional phototherapy for jaundiced infants uses blue light with a specific wavelength of 450 nanometers. Hospital equipment is monitored to ensure optimal treatment frequency. Lamps sold online, however, cannot be guaranteed to meet the necessary safety and effectiveness criteria for treating jaundice.

"Infants undergoing phototherapy also require regular checks of their bilirubin levels to determine if the treatment can be stopped or needs to continue with more intensive care," Dr. Yong stated. She advised parents against buying phototherapy lamps for home treatment without a doctor's examination and proper medical guidance. If parents wish to avoid hospitalization, doctors can recommend companies that rent out phototherapy lamps for home use, ensuring the equipment meets specifications and is safe.

Jaundice, a condition where an infant's skin appears yellow due to elevated bilirubin levels, is not contagious. It commonly affects newborns because their livers are immature and cannot process bilirubin efficiently. The threshold for dangerous jaundice levels varies based on the infant's age, weight, maturity, and health. Phototherapy is not administered to all jaundiced babies; it is reserved for cases where bilirubin levels exceed a certain point, which differs based on the infant's specific condition.