BiliCocoon® Chosen By Plymouth Hospital Trust For Home Phototherapy Programme

A poster featuring NeoMedLight’s BiliCocoon® phototherapy system was presented by University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust at the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) Annual Conference 2024. The BiliCocoon® phototherapy system for newborn babies with jaundice is exclusively available in the UK from Central Medical Supplies (CMS).

The poster – ‘The introduction of home phototherapy to avoid term admissions and facilitate early discharge, keeping families together’ – was produced by Sarah Underwood, Rowena Gruitt and Diane Keeling from University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. The poster details how the BiliCocoon® system has been used by the Trust for its home phototherapy programme.

The aim of the Trust’s home phototherapy programme is to provide infants with phototherapy treatment in an environment that best supports their developmental needs, while keeping the family together.  It also aims to optimise patient flow and reduce cot occupancy within neonatal services at University Hospitals Plymouth.

Over a six month period, 25 infants received home phototherapy, which saved 108 cot days at University Hospitals Plymouth.  Parents embraced the opportunity for home phototherapy, which along with serum bilirubin monitoring being carried out in the community, avoids travel and admission to hospital.

Sarah Underwood, NICU Senior Sister for Outreach & TCW at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, says: “BiliCocoon® has been instrumental in our home phototherapy programme.  Not only have our early discharge rates increased through this programme, but we have kept more families together during these precious early days – meaning that babies get to spend more time at home.”

The BiliCocoon® system is designed to deliver safe, controlled phototherapy, to reduce the concentration of bilirubin in the blood.  Unlike traditional phototherapy treatment, where the infant and parents are separated for long periods, the BiliCocoon® system means there can be physical contact while a baby is undergoing essential light treatment.  This benefits both a baby and its parents enormously.

The BiliCocoon® system features a lightweight, portable light box connected to LED light pads that wrap around the infant, allowing parents to hold the baby and feed during treatment. There are two different versions of the system – the BiliCocoon® Bag System and the BiliCocoon® Nest System.

The BiliCocoon® Bag System provides an effective, evenly spread LED light source from two light pads, enabling 360° body surface coverage.  The two pads fit inside a soft, disposable ‘bag’ which then wraps around the newborn. This increases the amount of light absorbed by the newborn and reduces the need for several phototherapy lamps. The BiliCocoon® Nest System, ideal for preterm babies, has just one LED light pad that folds around the infant, making it compatible with incubators.

For more information on the BiliCocoon® phototherapy system, contact Tracey Pavier-Grant, Sales & Marketing Director at Central Medical Supplies, on 01538 392 596 or email tracey@centralmedical.co.uk. Alternatively, further information is available at  www.centralmedical.co.uk.