| Jaundice is indeed very common especially among Asian babies. Cause of jaundice is important. Breastmilk or breastfeeding jaundice is not a cause of worry. In fact breastmilk jaundice is very common in all breastfed babies as there is something in breastmilk that causes increased intestinal absorption of bilirubin (the substance that causes jaundice). If suspected breastmilk jaundice reaches 20% mg or higher, usually the doctors will recommend an interruption to breastfeeding to bring it down. Whist breastmilk jaundice doesn't result in brain damage, there may be other pathological causes that aggravate the jaundice and the doctors would need to determine that and to do so, they may ask you to stop breastfeeding so that they can do accurate blood tests. Breastfed babies may be jaundiced up to 3-4 months, at levels which are usually not dangerous. It is alright to breastfeed and you should breastfeed even though your baby is jaundiced. I would suggest that to minimize jaundice, you nurse your baby right after delivery and you can start the first nursing within 30 minutes of delivery. You can insist that no formula, water or other fluids be given as there is scientific evidence that this can exacerbate the problem. Colostrum, even in tiny but frequently offered amounts, is all your baby needs in the first 48 hours. Thereafter, as your milk matures, you should nurse your baby at least 10-12 times a day (or every 2-3 hours) on demand. Do not give any supplements whatsoever. You can insist on rooming in with your baby so that you will be aware of when your baby is ready to feed (don't wait for her/him to cry - rather, watch for nuzzling, mouthing, tongue movements and little hands going to the mouth. These are signs that your baby is ready to feed). Maximising skin to skin contact with your baby is also very important in this early stage. I am a Chinese and I breastfed both my sons, first one to 11 months and second one still breastfeeding (3 yr 4 mth). They both had jaundice as I didn't nurse frequently enough, I think, but it came down with a day of phototherapy. After that they were still jaundiced for about a month but the level was below treatment level. Some scientific thinking now is that acceptable levels of bilirubin in babies may be beneficial. Hope the above will assure you that it is alright to breastfeed. |
