Impact: Key message: Chest shielding during phototherapy does not reduce the incidence of symptomatic PDA in preterm infants and does not affect phototherapy's efficacy. This study adds to the existing literature by providing a double-blinded RCT confirming previous inconsistent findings on the impact of chest shielding on PDA incidence. However, phototherapy may exert cardiovascular changes, including vasodilatation.
Impact: Chest shielding should not be recommended to be routinely performed in preterm infants during phototherapy.
© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the International Pediatric Research Foundation, Inc.