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At what bilirubin level should I consider phototherapy for a newborn with jaundice?

Answer

Guideline-Aligned (High Confidence)
Generated by iatroX. Developer: Dr Kola Tytler MBBS CertHE MBA MRCGP (General Practitioner).
Last reviewed: 17 August 2025

Phototherapy should be considered in babies with a serum bilirubin level that exceeds the treatment threshold for their age, as indicated in the threshold table and treatment threshold graphs 1.

Specifically, in babies who are more than 24 hours old and have a gestational age of 38 weeks or more, phototherapy is started when bilirubin levels are above the thresholds specified for their age in hours (e.g., >200 micromol/litre at 24 hours, >250 micromol/litre at 48 hours, etc.) 1.

In babies with a bilirubin level within 50 micromol/litre of the threshold, repeat measurements are recommended to determine if phototherapy is needed 1.

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