Mother infant zero separation for neonatal jaundice: we are getting closer

Background: Although phototherapy represents the standard of care for preventing bilirubin neurotoxicity, it can have both short- and long-term adverse effects. Moreover, phototherapy can interfere with mother-infant relationship and breastfeeding. Main body: As phototherapy quickly converts the bilirubin in the skin compartment and in the cutaneous circulation into harmless photo-isomers, during the following 2–3 h the effect of phototherapy is limited, leading to the plausibility for an effective intermittent phototherapy, which in fact has been recently documented both in preterm and term neonates. Conclusions: Cyclic phototherapy can help reduce mother-infant separation to a minimum, thus promoting the development of the mother-infant relationship and, ultimately, exclusive breastfeeding.