Jaundice is very common in infants. 3 out of every 5 newborns are affected by jaundice. This disease usually occurs in children a few days after birth. This happens due to increased bilirubin in the blood. Yellowing of the white part of the eyes is the most common symptom of jaundice in a newborn.

However, till now jaundice was diagnosed through blood test. But recently, under the direction of the Medtech Center of Excellence established in Lucknow PGI, a device has been prepared with the help of which the level of bilirubin in the blood can be detected without taking the blood sample of the child.

What should be the level of bilirubin in blood?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, on average, total bilirubin levels between 0.2 and 1.3 mg/dL are considered normal for children and adults. This level is slightly different for newborn babies. Normal levels for newborns can be anywhere between 1.0 and 12.0 mg/dL. At the same time, when the level of bilirubin in infants increases above 15 mg/dL in the first 48 hours or 20 mg/dL after 72 hours, then doctors recommend treatment.

Device trial conducted in 480 newborns

Chief Operating Officer of Medtech Center of Excellence, Shyam Kumar said that the device named Billy Sure, designed for jaundice test, has been tested on 480 newborn children. In which 96 percent results have been found accurate. After which preparations have been started to bring this device in the market.

How will jaundice be tested with the device?

Experts say that the level of bilirubin will be known as soon as this device is applied on the forehead. Actually, there are some sensors installed in it which scan the level of bilirubin in the body as soon as the forehead is touched. This process is quite simple. However, this device is not yet available in the market.

Jaundice test in just two seconds

Engineer Jitesh Pandey, who made the device, told Hindustan newspaper that the device is capable of checking the level of bilirubin in the blood in just two seconds. Let us tell you that it takes a few hours or even a whole day to determine the level of bilirubin in a blood test.