The Effect of Using a White Reflective Drape During Phototherapy on Bilirubin Levels and Hospital Stay in Neonates

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is one of the most common conditions in the neonatal period and may lead to severe complications if untreated. Phototherapy is the standard treatment; however, its effectiveness can be improved by using reflective materials to enhance light exposure.

In this single-center randomized controlled trial, conducted between October 2023 and August 2024 at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a University Hospital in Ankara, Turkey, a total of 102 neonates with hyperbilirubinemia were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were: gestational age ≥34 weeks, diagnosis of hyperbilirubinemia, physician decision to initiate phototherapy, and written parental consent. Exclusion criteria included critical health conditions (e.g., Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or nitric oxide therapy), congenital anomalies, blood group incompatibility or positive Coombs test, and bilirubin at exchange transfusion threshold.

Participants were randomized into two groups (n=51 per group). In the intervention group, a white reflective drape made of double-layer alpaca fabric (125 × 105 cm) was placed around the phototherapy device (three sides plus overhead) and a white sheet was placed under the neonate. The control group received standard phototherapy without a reflective drape. Phototherapy was administered using an Ertunç Özcan device with 24 blue LED lamps and one red focusing light. Serum bilirubin levels were measured from capillary blood samples at baseline, 4 hours, and 24 hours, maintaining a device-to-infant distance of 35 cm.

The primary outcome was the change in serum bilirubin at 24 hours. Secondary outcomes included bilirubin reduction rates (0-4h, 4-24h, 0-24h), phototherapy duration, and hospital length of stay. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v23, applying t-test, Mann-Whitney U, Friedman, and Dunn's tests, with significance set at p<0.05.