Breastmilk is nature’s best food for your newborn. Your primary responsibility is to provide breast milk to your baby.

1. Breastmilk jaundice is the yellowish discolouration of the skin, sclera, or mucous membrane. Your baby will be adequately breastfed in this type of jaundice. It is a kind of physiological jaundice. Breastmilk jaundice will resolve independently without any intervention in your baby.

2. Breastfeeding jaundice is the yellowish discoloration of the skin, sclera, and mucous membrane. Your baby will be inadequately breastfed in this type of jaundice.

3. Jaundice appears around the first two weeks of your baby’s life and can extend up to 12 weeks. If not, then the doctor suspects the other pathological causes for jaundice in your newborn.

4. To know the newborn jaundice reason is essential to know as it will be easy to resolve the condition.

A high concentration of blood and hemoglobin is present in newborns. The excess RBC has a short life span of 60 to 70 days compared to 120 days in adults.

The RBCs get destroyed in the initial days after birth. It is a way of starting a life outside your uterus.The unknown component present in your breastmilk will increase the absorption of bilirubin from the intestine. Thus, the bilirubin levels elevate in your baby’s blood.

The delayed meconium passing in your infant increases the absorption of bilirubin from the intestine. 

5. It is overwhelming for the immature liver in your baby to handle the excess bilirubin produced. As a consequence, the liver fails to convert the unconjugated non-water-soluble bilirubin into conjugated water-soluble bilirubin.

The conjugated bilirubin is the excretable form. It starts to circulate as an unconjugated form in your infant’s blood.

6. Excess bilirubin starts to circulate in your baby’s blood. The bilirubin has an affinity for subcutaneous tissue, mucous membrane, and brain tissue.

The deposit in the brain tissue causes permanent damage causing Kernicterus.

7. Symptoms of breastmilk jaundice are, 

    – Yellow staining of the skin, mucous membrane, and sclera

    – Tiredness in baby

    – Irritable and crying

    – Poor feeding

8. The yellow skin appearance is visible after the bilirubin level rises above 5mg/dl. The discolouration is often cephalocaudal.

The staining starts from the head end and progresses towards the extremities like palms and soles in your baby. You will first notice yellow staining in the face, forehead, cheeks, etc.

The skin staining in the palm and sole indicates severe jaundice.Consult your baby’s physician immediately. The staining of palms and soles roughly approximates to >18mg/dl of bilirubin.

Watch for excessive sleepiness and trouble feeding. These are the other alarming sign to contact the physician immediately.

9. Breastmilk jaundice is a diagnosis of exclusion. The doctor will rule out all possible causes of newborn jaundice. The conditions to be ruled out are

Hemolysis in the newborn

ABO Incompatibility

Genetic disorders

Breastmilk Jaundice

Cholestasis

10. The subsequent investigations to be conducted to conclude the diagnosis

Bilirubin levels in the blood

Complete blood count

Blood smear

Blood grouping and Rh typing tests for both mother and baby

Reticulocyte count

Screening tests to rule out metabolic disorders

Newborn jaundice bilirubin levels are significant to keep track of the progression.

11. Breastmilk Jaundice treatment The breastmilk jaundice will resolve on its own without any treatment in most cases.

For the newborn, jaundice level 12 or more than it follows brief one-day abstinence from breast milk. Abstinence helps most of the time.

Phototherapy to newborn jaundice. The doctor starts phototherapy when the bilirubin levels persist above the guideline level.

The baby is placed under the blue light. The therapy continues till bilirubin levels decrease.

Cover the eyes of your baby with a pad to prevent eye damage from blue light. The light treatment converts the bilirubin to a water-soluble substance for easy removal. It aids the excretion via stool.

12. Keep your baby well hydrated and well breastfed. Breastfeed 12 times a day is the norm. It will aid the frequent bowel movement, and in turn, excrete bilirubin via your baby’s poop.

Never stop breastfeeding. The doctor will tell you to stop breastfeeding if needed. Breastmilk provides nutrition and hydration to the baby.

The recovery from the breastmilk jaundice is excellent. It doesn’t spread from person to person.

Breastmilk jaundice cannot be prevented as it a naturally occurring condition. The transition to extrauterine life is challenging. The organs in the baby will start to function independent way. We can avoid serious complications like Kernicterus in your newborn.