Jaundiced view

Newborn babies must replace their entire blood supply within their first few
days. If the haemoglobin from their fetal blood does not break down fast enough,
a pigment called bilirubin can build up, causing jaundice and possibly brain
damage. The treatment is to expose the babies to ultraviolet light. Nappies
(diapers) block UV, so Patricia Millner, a nurse at Hershey Medical Center in
Pennsylvania, has designed one made of a swimsuit fabric that allows 87 per cent
of the UV through. This cuts by a third the time babies must spend under hot UV
lights. So far, no major company is producing her invention.