Why a major Scottish hospital will be treating newborn babies in their own family homes

Newborn babies with jaundice can now be treated in the comfort of their home, thanks to a new pilot study being run in Glasgow.

Neonatal nurses and medical staff at the Royal Hospital for Children’s (RHC) neonatal unit have launched a pilot service to treat newborn babies with jaundice “in the comfort of their family home”.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) estimates that at full capacity, the ‘at home’ service will free up at least 30 maternal bed days per month in the adjoining Queen Elizabeth University Hospital maternity unit.

A demonstration of the equipment used to treat jaundice in newborns. Picture: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Lynsey Hill, a staff nurse on the pilot study team, said: “Babies can develop jaundice symptoms 72 hours after birth. If we have already discharged a mum and her baby following labour, they would traditionally need to return for a hospital stay to receive phototherapy.

“This can be really upsetting for mums who have been settling into life with their baby at home.”

Neonatal jaundice is present in around six in ten babies born and is caused by a build-up of bilirubin in the blood, causing yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes.

The condition can necessitate babies staying in hospital with their mothers for up to five days while they receive phototherapy treatment – a special type of light that shines on the skin.

The staff at the Royal Hospital for Children’s (RHC) neonatal unit which implemented the pilot

The pilot will see babies receiving phototherapy at home with their family, with NHSGGC community midwives monitoring for jaundice as part of their routine home visits.

Scott Stevenson, whose daughter Ava and partner Danielle were part of the pilot, said: “We were aware of Ava’s jaundice when she was in hospital and she was receiving phototherapy there.

“Her bilirubin levels improved and we were able to go home. The nurses advised that a midwife would visit the house, would check this again for us and that there was a chance we would need to return.

“When the midwife arrived at the house the next day, the blood test showed that Ava needed phototherapy once again. The midwife then offered to bring the suit to us. I worried that it would be a lot of equipment at first, but it wasn’t, and it was so easy. It was great.”

Ms Hill added: “We are focused on delivering person-centred care and this is a pilot that we’ve been hoping to implement for a while.

“It is very satisfying to see it live and to hear the positive feedback from parents. Our hope is for more women, who give birth at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, to be aware of the service and understand that their baby could be eligible.”

The ‘at home’ treatment for neonatal jaundice is easy for parents to implement and minimises impact on day-to-day life with a newborn. Parents simply slip the baby into a small sleeping-bag-like garment that delivers the phototherapy. The babies can be breast fed while in this device.

A member of the neonatal nursing care at home team will visit families at home daily to monitor the baby’s progress.