Mum's praise for at-home baby jaundice treatment

A mother has praised a "special sleeping bag" that meant her newborn could be treated for jaundice at home.

The equipment, which is being offered by Royal Derby Hospital's maternity unit, allows babies who meet the clinical criteria to receive phototherapy without having to stay in hospital.

About six in 10 newborns are affected by neonatal jaundice - a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes - and often need several days of phototherapy treatment.

Shannon Bilson, whose daughter Ivy was one of the first to use the equipment, said: "It felt good to be able to give her the care ourselves, rather than feeling helpless watching doctors do it in hospital."

The equipment - which Shannon affectionately named "glow-worm" - gently wraps around the baby's body and provides therapeutic light treatment.

Ivy was born on on 15 February of this year and Shannon, from Ripley, said she was relieved to be told her daughter could be treated for jaundice at home.

"It made a lot of difference to be honest," she added.

"We thought as soon as we found out that she had jaundice that we were just going to be back in hospital, another 24 hours at least.

"So it was nice that we could come home with it, do everything that we do at home, get her into a routine, whilst she's still able to get the phototherapy that she needed to help with the jaundice. "

Shannon said treating Ivy at home also supported "all of us bonding as a family".

The hospital's neonatal jaundice clinic and virtual ward opened in November 2025 and 18 families, including Shannon's, have benefitted from the service so far.

"I know it might be daunting for some parents, but it was explained clearly, and it felt good to be able to give her the care ourselves rather than feeling helpless watching doctors do it in hospital," Shannon added.

Since the service was introduced, babies that have required phototherapy have been under the care of the team for around two to four days, from attending the clinic to being discharged - the same timeframe for those receiving inpatient care.

Angela Burden, lead neonatal advanced clinical practitioner, said: "The beauty of the virtual ward and reason it is so effective is because there is a shared goal to keep babies and families together at the heart of it.

"We want to ensure that the baby receives the appropriate treatment and that parents feel informed, empowered, and confident in their decision to manage phototherapy at home.

"The equipment is straightforward to use and support is available at all times which supports consistent care and is reflected in the positive feedback we have had so far."

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