An Innovation: Eyes Pad in Newborn on Phototherapy

Abstract

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is the most common condition in newborn which need to be diagnosed and promptly treated to prevent brain damage which will result in slow growth and lower intelligence. The damage, once occurs, is irreversible. Preventive treatment of this condition is to apply phototherapy. Each newborn baby treated with phototherapy requires eye pads to prevent retinal damage. The objective of this study was to produce simple eye pads to be used for the phototherapy in newborn. The materials were easily available, comprising of a disposible head cover, pieces of non-transparent paper with the S, M and L sizes, needle, thread, and scissors. The products were used in newborn with hyperbilirubinemia on phototherapy, and replaced with a new one every 8 hours or when it was dirty. The eye pads were found to be effective in preventing retinal damage when investigated the newborns at 1, 3 and 6 months after hospital dischage; and no assocaited complecations were observed. Mothers and care givers were satisfied with the products (92.27% of the cases). At the cost of baht 1.88 per piece, the innovation was found to reduce the cost of care for inborns on phototherapy.