Water loss from the skin of preterm and newborn infants under phototherapy with standard-blue-light
Stornowski, C.
Monatsschrift Kinderheilkunde Organ der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kinderheilkunde 131(7): 448-450
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-9298 PMID: 6621562 Document Number: 211227
Water loss from the skin of 15 term and preterm newborn infants (gestational age 27-40 weeks; birth weight 670 g to 3,130 g) was measured using the Evaporimeter-method. All babies were treated with standard-blue-light-phototherapy on their first days after birth. The mean value, calculated by a special graphic method (approximation), was 14.3 ml H2O/kg . 24 h (8.8 g H2O/m2 . h) in babies weighing greater than 1,900 g. Below this birth weight the rate of water loss increased markedly up to ten-fold. Altogether there were no critical water losses under phototherapy with standard blue light when only one side of the patient's body was radiated. The values under blue light were a little higher than under daylight-white-phototherapy.