Our four children have all experienced newborn jaundice.  The type of jaundice that we’ve experienced usually requires longer treatments and bilirubin levels tend to get higher than they do in typical newborn jaundice.  Our kids were all Coomb’s positive due to an ABO blood incompatibility.

Our first daughter was a preterm baby and in the NICU with severe lung disease.  When she had to have light therapy added to her regimen, it really wasn’t a concern due to her other serious problems.  However, with our second daughter, an early term and otherwise healthy baby, her jaundice reached dangerous levels and she was re-hospitalized at five days old for two days of intensive light therapy.  This required me to be in the hospital and away from my husband and older daughter.  Additionally, the baby was kept under the phototherapy lights, where I was not allowed to breastfeed or hold her longer than a few minutes.  She also had to have her eyes covered at all times for protection from the bright lights.  After she was back home (without a biliblanket), her jaundice persisted for seven weeks and she suffered through 22 heel pricks!

When our third child was born, we were more prepared. His high levels were caught right away, so light therapy started immediately.  We stayed in the hospital together for an extra day after my discharge in order to avoid re-hospitalization. Additionally, we learned of biliblankets and luckily found one to be delivered to our home (then in Illinois) on the day our son was discharged.  We used the biliblanket and our son’s jaundice was gone after ten days and he had less than half of the number of heel pricks his older sister endured.

Before I even delivered baby four, we called over ten medical supply companies in the Denver area to try to locate a biliblanket. Finally we found a biliblanket and our hospital pediatrician faxed an order over as soon as we confirmed our daughter needed phototherapy after birth.  We used the biliblanket about a week after birth (average rental time is about 3-4 days) and our daughter did well under our pediatrician’s care and with the help of the biliblanket!  I could nurse her day and night and even used an external power supply this time, so I could take her on walks without interrupting phototherapy!

As a result of my first hand experience, I am passionate about making sure that biliblankets are available and affordable.  Biliblankets have made a HUGE difference in our immediate post partum stress levels and in our ability to bond with our babies and older siblings.  If your baby has newborn jaundice and needs phototherapy, I hope I can help you keep your baby at home under your pediatrician’s care and out of the hospital.

Emma Rukhotskiy, PhD
Mother to four and owner of Bili Blanket Baby