Jaundice is common in newborn babies, and pathologic hyperbilirubinemia is frequently treated with phototherapy. Although it is considered to be safe, the side effects of phototherapy in newborns are still a matter of debate. In this study, the impacts of two types of phototherapy, conventional fluorescence and intensive light-emitting diodes (LED), on DNA damage and total oxidant/ antioxidant status in jaundiced newborns were assessed. The study group included 40 newborns (gestation age ≥ 37 weeks) on days 2-8 after birth. Newborns were divided into two groups on the basis of need for phototherapy: 20 newborns were exposed to conventional phototherapy (Group I); and 20 infants were exposed to intensive phototherapy (Group II). Blood samples were taken from all infants at admission and after phototherapy to determine plasma 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine (8-OH-dG; a marker of DNA damage), total oxidant status (TOS), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The oxidative stress index (OSI) was also calculated. Demographic information was recorded, and DNA damage, TOS, and TAC were compared. There were no differences in demographic information between the two groups. There were no significant differences in DNA damage, TOS, TAC, and OSI between Groups I and II before phototherapy (p > 0.05) and no significant differences in DNA damage, TOS, TAC, and OSI between the two groups after phototherapy (p > 0.05). However, the TAC decreased significantly in both groups after phototherapy (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that conventional and intensive phototherapies do not affect DNA damage and oxidative stress, supporting the safety of its use as the preferred treatment for jaundiced newborns.

Keywords: DNA damage, newborn, oxidative stress, phototherapy