Methods
asphyxia, weight loss, illness, infection
BLOOD GROUP INCOMPATIBILITY, ASPHYXIA, INFECTION
This study included newborn infants who were part of a multicenter randomized trial conducted from August 2016 to September 2019. The ethical review board in Uppsala, Sweden, approved the study (D 2015/226) and it was registered at clinicaltrials.gov 24/05/2018 (NCT03536078). The original dataset included 147 patients originating from six different Swedish hospitals, but to ensure the highest level of cost control, this analysis is limited to the 92 patients included at Örebro University Hospital. The inclusion criteria were a chronological age of more than 48 h, a gestational age above 36 + 0 weeks and a TSB above 18 mg/dl (300 µmol/L) between 48–72 h of age or TSB above 20.5 mg/dl (350 µmol/L) after 72 h of age. The exclusion criteria were blood group incompatibility, TSB at inclusion above 24 mg/dl (400 µmol/L), asphyxia, weight loss of more than 10%, an ongoing infection or any other severe illness.After we received informed consent from parents, all patients were randomized in a block-wise design to either phototherapy at home using the Bilisoft fiber optic device (GE healthcare, Chicago IL, USA) or to standard in-hospital phototherapy. Details of the inclusion process can be seen in the CONSORT flow diagram (Fig. CONSORT Flow diagram.