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Photo therapy incubators and neonatal jaundice

The phototherapy incubators are medical equipment used to provide a controlled environment to newborns, whether premature or full term, to undergo phototherapy, a therapeutic measure in which light emitted by special lamps is used to treat childhood jaundice, and thus reduce the effects of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Phototherapy considerably reduces bilirubin levels in capillaries and interstitial space, transforming bilirubin into water-soluble isomers that can be eliminated without conjugation in the liver. The administration of phototherapy will depend on bilirubin levels, age of life, gestational age at birth and clinical status of the newborn.

These special neonatal incubators are perfectly designed to manipulate the newborn without removing it from the incubator, allowing other actions involving: isolation, oxygen supply and monitoring of vital functions (heart, brain and breathing activity).

What is childhood jaundice?

As mentioned, phototherapy helps the body of the newborn break down bilirubin more quickly. Jaundice is the yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, caused by increased blood levels of bilirubin, which originates from the destruction of red blood cells. This process is normal after birth, since newborns are born with a fairly high level of red blood cells, and since you no longer need that high amount proceeds to self-destruction of them, releasing hemoglobin thus to the blood and giving rise to the formation of bilirubin from this released hemoglobin, this bilirubin should be processed in the liver but because of age is not mature enough, tends the process to be slower and thus bilirubin accumulates in skin and mucous membranes.

In fact, about half of newborns have childhood jaundice in the first week of their life. It is usually a temporary condition that does not require treatment, although in some more serious cases it may indicate the inability of the newborn to process this bilirubin quickly, in these cases phototherapy is used. Since this therapy helps to accelerate the decomposition of bilirubin and then favors its excretion.

How does phototherapy work?

The newborn is placed in the incubator under that special light. This changes the chemical structure of bilirubin in the skin. During treatment, the eyes of the newborn are covered for greater protection and comfort. The rest of the body is left without clothing, except for the diaper, to try to cover a greater area of the skin. And the neonate’s position is often changed to take advantage of light falling all over the skin.

How is a neonatal incubator composed?

A neonatal incubator consists of a dome and the chassis. The power source and the sensors that alert in case of failure are located in the chassis for the protection of the newborn. These incubators bring with them lamps for phototherapy. These lamps make up the phototherapy unit and are generally made up of 4 blue light tubes and 2 white light tubes. The blue ones are placed in the center and the white ones on the sides. These phototherapy lamps are fluorescent and LED bulbs.

What do we offer you in Kalstein?

At Kalstein we are MANUFACTURERS of medical equipment of the highest quality and we offer novel neonatal incubators with phototherapy lamps at the best PRICES on the market. This time we present the incubator child YR02188 is designed with an advanced thermoregulation system for the neonatal intensive care unit. With an ultrasonic humidifier it provides low temperature and comfortable airflow inside the incubator. The adjustable humidity range of 40% to 80% provides the right incubation environment for patients. The design of the double wall camera prevents heat and moisture loss.

For more information we invite you to take a look : HERE