Hi, It sounds like breastmilk Jandice. What a shame she has been given such out-dated advice.
Wendy Brodribb in "Breastfeeding Management" (Australian Breastfeeding Association has an excellent explaination (p 393) Arias and co-workers in the 1960's first reported another form of neonatal jaundice characterised by prolonged elevation of serum bilirubin in otherwise healthy breastfed infants. The incidence was thought to be between one in 100 and 1 in 200 breastfed infants. Bilirubin levels may peak at 10-14 days then remain constant for 2 weeks and decline to normal levels by 4-16 weeks. Seventy percent of the siblings of an infant with breastmilk jaudice are likely to develop the condition. THE CONDITION IS ALWAYS BENIGN (my caps!) The main reason for any investigation is to rule out pathological causes of jaundice. She goes on to say "In the majority of situations there is not need to prove the diagnosis in an otherwise healthy infant and there is no need to wean because the infant has breastmilk jaundice" I think I'd be seeking a second opinion from a more up to date dr Barb Hi all! > > > > A query - I saw a client today whose little boy is 4 months old. The > birth > was at 36weeks, very quick labour (3 hours - first baby). The little > fellow > had jaundice but was otherwise well. Went under the lights a couple of > times and then came home but had appointments to go back and see the > hospital paediatrician. When I saw the Mum prenatally, she was very very > keen to breastfeed, had even been to ABA meetings whilst pregnant. > However, > she informed me today that she "had" to give up feeding. Upon being asked > why, the answer was that she was so stressed that her milk dried up. The > reason for the stress was that the jaundice kept recurring and her > paediatrician told her that her "milk was not flushing it out of the > baby's > system". Bub had to return to hospital twice to go under the lights again > and the paediatrician also said that Mum had to supplement with artificial > formula because baby was not getting enough to flush out. Hence the > stress. > She saw a lactation consultant who suggested that she go to a GP to get a > tablet to increase her supply but she did not want to go that way. Don't > know why she didn't go back to ABA but think she was over it by then. > (Also > lost confidence in her ability to feed I think because of paediatrician's > comments) Anyway, can any of you enlighten me re the milk flushing the > jaundice out of the system please? > > > > Cheers > > Ramona Lane > > Herbalist/Naturopath > > -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
