Children's lives in danger

All newborns have a tendency to develop jaundice. It usually appears after a few days of age and reaches a critical point at 2-4 days in full-term babies, and at 5-7 days in premature babies. Jaundice occurs in 80% of premature babies. It is very life-threatening and requires immediate treatment. But for this it is necessary to equip hospitals with equipment.

The first reason for the appearance of pathological jaundice in premature babies is the presence in the blood of more red blood cells (red blood cells) that remains in later life. The second reason is that erythrocytes in a newborn are destroyed much faster than in an adult. And upon destruction, a yellow pigment is formed – bilirubin. Bilirubin is further converted into a water-soluble form in the liver and excreted from the body through the intestines. The third reason is an immature liver in a premature baby that is unable to convert and excrete all bilirubin. Thus, bilirubin gets into the blood and body tissues, and the child becomes yellow.

Large amounts of bilirubin can damage the brain because it is a toxic substance and nerve cells are killed by high concentrations in the blood. There are two methods of treating or lowering bilirubin: phototherapy (light therapy with special lamps), or blood transfusion (to replace the child's blood with donor blood – without high bilirubin).

Blood transfusion is a very aggressive method and has many complications and side effects. Today, phototherapy is the main and most effective treatment for neonatal jaundice worldwide.

Phototherapy is a light treatment based on the conversion of bilirubin into a water-soluble form, which is non-toxic and quickly excreted from the body.

There are already several phototherapy lamps in the preterm newborn unit, but this is very few. Many babies simply “queue up” to receive phototherapy. It should not be! It is impossible to choose who is healthy and who is not. All children should have an equal chance of health! Therefore, we ask for your help in purchasing a phototherapy lamp in the department for premature babies of the Ternopil Regional Children's Clinical Hospital!