Post-term birth
Post-term birth ( 5 Questions)
A nurse is educating the parents of a post-term newborn who has hyperbilirubinemia and requires phototherapy.
What should the nurse include in the teaching?
Exposing the newborn to sunlight is not an effective treatment for hyperbilirubinemia and can cause sunburn.Â
This is because phototherapy exposes the newborn to intense light that can damage the eyes and skin, and also increases water loss through the skin. Eye shields protect the eyes from the light and a diaper prevents overexposure of the genital area. The newborn should also be turned frequently to expose different parts of the body to light.
Breast milk does not interfere with phototherapy and breastfeeding should be continued as normal.Â
Blood tests are not needed every 12 hours, but only when indicated by the bilirubin level or risk factors.
This is because phototherapy exposes the newborn to intense light that can damage the eyes and skin, and also increases water loss through the skin.
Eye shields protect the eyes from the light and a diaper prevents overexposure of the genital area. The newborn should also be turned frequently to expose different parts of the body to light.
Choice A is wrong because exposing the newborn to sunlight is not an effective treatment for hyperbilirubinemia and can cause sunburn. Choice C is wrong because breast milk does not interfere with phototherapy and breastfeeding should be continued as normal. Choice D is wrong because blood tests are not needed every 12 hours, but only when indicated by the bilirubin level or risk factors.
Normal bilirubin levels vary by age, gestational age, and risk factors. The American Academy of Pediatrics provides hour-specific nomograms for initiating phototherapy based on these factors.