Newborns with jaundice can now receive vital treatment at home using a special sleeping bag-style device, thanks to the launch of a new service by Scotland’s largest health board.
The Hospital at Home service allows babies who meet clinical requirements to undergo phototherapy with the garment, which delivers therapeutic light.
Neonatal jaundice, a common condition affecting around six in 10 newborns, causes yellowing of the skin and eyes due to a buildup of bilirubin and may require several days of phototherapy.
It usually appears a few days after birth as the baby’s liver matures and often resolves on its own, though phototherapy may be needed if bilirubin levels become too high.
Previously, mothers and babies had to return to the hospital for treatment, which could disrupt the early days at home.
The new Hospital at Home programme, run by the neonatal unit at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, enables babies to be treated safely and comfortably in their own homes.
Hospital at Home senior nurse Kayleigh Cunningham at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the symptoms often develop around 72 hours after birth.
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“If a mum and baby have already gone home, they would traditionally need to return for a hospital stay,” the nurse said.
“This can be upsetting when families have just begun settling into life at home.”
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Alicia Hardie and her partner, Mark Donohue, have welcomed the service after their daughter, Cora Donohue, was born three weeks early on Christmas Eve.
Miss Hardie, from Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, gave birth at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
“We were all packed up and ready to go home when Cora’s blood test showed she needed light therapy for jaundice. At that point, we didn’t know the Hospital at Home service existed, so we stayed in for another few days,” she said.
“We finally got home on December 30, but at Cora’s next blood test her jaundice levels were still high, and she needed the lights again, so back to hospital we went.”
It was during that stay that they learned about the Hospital at Home service.
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“After an early birth and the back and forth for blood tests, it was exactly what we needed. We could finally relax at home and start our new life together.”
Miss Hardie said the equipment was easy to use.
“After just two days using the suit at home, Cora passed her blood test and she’s doing brilliantly now,” she added.
