Managing Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia: Key Interventions

What is the most effective intervention in reducing the indirect bilirubin in an affected newborn?

a) Fluid restriction
b) Iron supplementation
c) Frequent diaper changes
d) Increased feeding frequency

Final answer:

To reduce indirect bilirubin in newborns with hyperbilirubinemia, increased feeding frequency is key because it accelerates bilirubin excretion. Phototherapy with UV light also helps break down bilirubin, preventing kernicterus.

In managing neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, increased feeding frequency is most effective in reducing the indirect bilirubin in an affected newborn. Increased feeding frequency promotes more frequent bowel movements, which help in the excretion of bilirubin through stools. Since breast milk has laxative properties, it aids in clearing meconium and reducing the levels of indirect bilirubin.

Phototherapy is another treatment that uses UV light to break down bilirubin into a form that can be more easily eliminated by the baby's body. As bilirubin levels decrease, the risk of bilirubin crossing the underdeveloped blood-brain barrier and causing kernicterus, a form of brain damage, is greatly reduced.