and loose stools. The color of these stools are usually a greenish color; however, this is normal because that is the way bilirubin is removed from the body. As bilirubin levels return to normal and phototherapy is no longer needed, the frequency of bowel movements and the color of the stools will return to normal. More severe long term side effects are very rare or non existent but there could be a correlation with conditions such as allergy/asthma, patent ductus arteriosus and retinopathy of prematurity. There is no statistical evidence that phototherapy causes melanoma. Advantages Unlike conventional forms of phototherapy, which require eye protection, the baby does not need to have eye protection when using a biliblanket. Another advantage of the biliblanket is that it can be used at home. In some cases, if the baby's condition is not too severe, the parents will be given a biliblanket to set up and use at home. This provides a more comfortable and convenient setting since the parents and baby do not have to stay in the hospital. Other advantages of the biliblanket are that it can be easily transported, can be used when the baby is sleeping, eating, and or being held, and promotes a relationship between parents and infants since they do not need to be separated during treatment. Disadvantages From a review, fibreoptic phototherapy was more effective at lowering serum bilirubin than no treatment but less effective than conventional phototherapy. However, a combination of fibreoptic and conventional phototherapy was more effective than conventional phototherapy alone. History In 1956, Sister Ward, a nurse at Rochford General Hospital in Essex, England, discovered that a jaundiced infant's body had regained its normal skin color after exposure to the sun. One small region, which had not been exposed to the sun, remained yellow in color. This discovery, along with findings that blood tubes exposed to the sun showed a decrease in bilirubin concentrations, drove research and development of the first phototherapy device for treatment of neonatal jaundice. Phototherapy has been used to treat neonatal jaundice since the early 1970s. The conventional form of phototherapy has been performed in the hospital for more than thirty years and requires the presence of multiple overhead light sources, such as halogen or fluorescent lamps, shining directly on the baby. With advances in technology, novel forms of phototherapy emerged using optical fibers and a light source. Clinical testing