Objective: We wished to compare the efficacy of light-emitting diode (LED) phototherapy with special blue fluorescent (BB) tube phototherapy in the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
Study design: We randomly assigned 66 infants >or=35 weeks of gestation to receive phototherapy using an LED device or BB. In addition to phototherapy from above, all infants also received phototherapy from below using four BB tubes or a fiberoptic pad.
Result: After 15+/-5 h of phototherapy, the rate of decline in the total serum bilirubin (TSB) was 0.35+/-0.25 mg/dl/h in the LED group vs 0.27+/-0.25 mg/dl/h in the BB group (P=0.20).
Conclusion: LED phototherapy is as effective as BB phototherapy in lowering serum bilirubin levels in term and near-term newborns.