ABSTRACT
Jaundice is the common clinical sign in neonatal medicine. Its causes were dominated by ABO incompatibility. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of ordinary phototherapy [OP] versus intensive phototherapy [IP] in the treatment of hyperbilirubinemia due to ABO incompatibility. A total of 104 newborns infants with haemolytic hyperbilirubinemia were evaluated. Group I [G I], 52 infants treated with OP or OP and exchange transfusion and group II [G II], 52 infants treated with IP or IP and OP. Our study demonstrated that the overall percentage decline rate of unconjugated serum bilirubin was 0.31 %/h in G I and 0.7 %/h in G II. Median duration of phototherapy was shorter in G II [16h vs 47.3h]. The use of continue OP was reduced in G II [7 vs 31 cases]. Exchange transfusion was no longer used in G I. Also we found significant decrease of the mean duration of hospitalisation in G II [4.54 vs 5.15 days] This study showed that in G II of jaundiced babies treated with IP, kernicterus was totally eliminated also the need of exchange transfusion. The use of IP reduced mother-baby separation