Jaundice is the most common condition requiring medical assessment and treatment in the newborn period. It affects the majority of babies to some degree in the first week of life, producing the characteristic yellow discolouration of the skin and the whites of the eyes that brings many families to the hospital for the first time after discharge. For most babies, neonatal jaundice is a brief and benign transition. 

For some, bilirubin levels rise to a degree that requires active treatment, and in the rare untreated severe case, bilirubin can cross into the brain and cause the devastating and permanent neurological damage of kernicterus.

Successful treatment of neonatal jaundice in Mahadevapura, Bengaluru depends on accurate measurement of bilirubin, appropriate risk stratification to identify which babies need treatment, and effective phototherapy delivered at the right intensity to reduce levels quickly and safely. 

KIMS Cuddles, part of KIMS Hospitals, Mahadevapura, has the full range of technologies for bilirubin monitoring and treatment, right from a transcutaneous bilirubinometer in Bengaluru to high-intensity LED phototherapy and biliblanket therapy, offering complete management of jaundice for newborns in Mahadevapura, Whitefield and East Bengaluru.

Why Neonatal Jaundice Develops?

Newborns break down red blood cells more quickly than older children and adults, producing more bilirubin than their relatively immature liver can efficiently process and excrete. This causes a build-up of bilirubin in the blood, which leads to jaundice. The degree is dependent on the balance between production and clearance. 

Factors that increase production include haemolytic conditions such as blood group incompatibility between mother and baby, G6PD deficiency, and prematurity. Factors that impair clearance include immaturity of the hepatic conjugation pathway, inadequate feeding, and certain metabolic conditions.

The concern with significant jaundice is the accumulation of unconjugated bilirubin at levels that allow it to cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain, causing the specific pattern of movement disorder, hearing loss, and intellectual disability that defines kernicterus. Early identification and treatment are what prevent this.

The Transcutaneous Bilirubinometer

The transcutaneous bilirubinometer in Bengaluru at our unit is a non-invasive device which estimates the bilirubin level by transmitting light of a specific wavelength through the skin and measuring the reflected spectrum, which is related to the level of bilirubin in the tissue. It only takes a few seconds, no blood sample is taken, and it does not cause any discomfort to the baby. 

Transcutaneous bilirubinometry is used as a screening tool to identify babies who require a confirmatory blood bilirubin measurement, and to monitor babies whose bilirubin is below the treatment threshold without the distress and skin trauma of repeated heel pricks. It significantly reduces the number of blood tests performed for bilirubin monitoring and improves the experience for both baby and family during what is already an anxious period.

A blood total serum bilirubin level is drawn when the transcutaneous reading is above a certain level or when clinical circumstances indicate the need for a more accurate reading, to help guide treatment. 

Phototherapy

Phototherapy for newborns in Bengaluru at our unit comes into effect by the ability of the light to convert unconjugated bilirubin, which is fat-soluble, to more water-soluble isomers that can be excreted without the need for liver conjugation. The conversion takes place when bilirubin absorbs light of the correct color, mainly blue-green light from 460-490 nanometers. 

We use High Intensity LED Phototherapy Units at our NICU, KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospitals, Mahadevapura which have proved to be effective in reducing the bilirubin. The light is supplied with the correct intensity and at the optimal wavelength. The baby is positioned under the phototherapy unit with the maximum skin surface area exposed to the light, with eye protection in place throughout.

Intensive phototherapy, where the baby is exposed to phototherapy from above and below simultaneously, is used for babies with rapidly rising bilirubin levels or levels approaching exchange transfusion thresholds. This approach maximises the rate of bilirubin reduction in babies who need the fastest possible response.

Fluid requirements increase during phototherapy due to insensible water losses under the light and from the loose stools that phototherapy commonly causes. Our team closely monitors hydration status and adjusts feeding and supplementation to avoid dehydration adding to the clinical picture.

The Biliblanket

The biliblanket jaundice treatment in Bengaluru at our unit uses a fibreoptic pad that delivers phototherapy light directly to the baby's skin through contact. Unlike overhead phototherapy units, the biliblanket allows the baby to be held by parents during treatment, which is not possible under conventional overhead units. This is particularly meaningful during what can be an anxious and isolating experience for families in the first days after birth.

For babies with more significant jaundice requiring intensive phototherapy, the biliblanket is used alongside overhead phototherapy to maximise the skin surface area receiving treatment simultaneously. This combination increases the rate of bilirubin clearance in babies whose levels require rapid reduction before other interventions become necessary.

The biliblanket is also used for continuation of phototherapy at home for well babies with moderate jaundice who do not require inpatient care, allowing treatment to continue in a family setting with appropriate monitoring and follow-up arranged through our outpatient team.

Exchange Transfusion

For the small number of babies in whom bilirubin levels rise to a degree that cannot be controlled with even intensive phototherapy, exchange transfusion is available at KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospitals, Mahadevapura. 

This procedure, in which the baby's blood is gradually replaced with donor blood through alternating small aliquots, rapidly reduces bilirubin levels and removes circulating antibodies in haemolytic disease.

Why Choose KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospitals, Mahadevapura

Effective neonatal jaundice management in Mahadevapura, Bengaluru requires the full range of monitoring and treatment technologies, applied by a clinical team experienced in bilirubin risk stratification and phototherapy management. 

At KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospitals, Mahadevapura, our neonatal team provides this expertise alongside the full NICU infrastructure needed to manage babies with the most significant jaundice safely, including exchange transfusion when that level of intervention becomes necessary.

For families in Mahadevapura, Whitefield, ITPL, and KR Puram seeking expert newborn jaundice assessment and treatment, our team is accessible and available to help from the earliest signs of concern.

Book an Appointment

If your newborn is diagnosed with jaundice that needs evaluation or treatment, you can contact KIMS Cuddles at KIMS Hospitals, Mahadevapura online or by phone. Our neonatal teams are able to manage and assess your baby quickly.