Helping *another* friend--bf jaundice

[Herself]

Has anyone heard of breastfeeding jaundice? A friend of a friend who I
met today has a 3-week-old who was diagnosed with it. I've never heard
of it...but that's not saying much :-). Any info on it appreciated!!
One doc told her that the baby would need some type of bile surgery!
(She is now going to a specialist)...
--
'Tis Herself

[She's A Goddess]

"Herself" > wrote in message
...
> Has anyone heard of breastfeeding jaundice? A friend of a friend who I
> met today has a 3-week-old who was diagnosed with it. I've never heard
> of it...but that's not saying much :-). Any info on it appreciated!!
> One doc told her that the baby would need some type of bile surgery!
> (She is now going to a specialist)...

I've heard of it. Supposedly the breastmilk acctually creates the jaundice.
However, what I've heard is that you stop feeding breastmilk for 24-36
hours, in which time it usually clears up and then it doesn't come back and
you can resume nursing.

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/jaundice_01-03.html suggests that there
really isn't even a reason to discontinue it. I can't imagine why the baby
would need surgery. /me scratches head.

Rhiannon
Mom to M. Girl and O. Boy

[Sue]

She's A Goddess > wrote in message
.. I can't imagine why the baby
> would need surgery. /me scratches head.
>
Well she might need surgery, if it turns out it isn't just breastfeeding
jaundice. That is probably what the doctor was thinking in the back of his
mind when he said the baby might need surgery.

--
Sue (mom to three girls)
I'm Just a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World...

[DavesFatChick]

>Has anyone heard of breastfeeding jaundice?


My son developed pretty severe jaundice after he was born. They thought it
might be breastfeeding jaundice although I don't remember the specifics of what
that entails, aside from something in the milk. There is also "breastmilk
jaundice" which is somehow different. It wasn't either one in our case.

I'm guessing there is something else going on with her baby. Surgery was never
mentioned or suggested in our case. But he did have to have a transfusion.
After the transfusion he was fine. He went home from the hospital about 2 days
after that and has had no problems since.


Emma

**********************************

Time is the best teacher; unfortunately it kills all its students.

Semper Gumby! - Always Flexible!

[Sue]

It doesn't sound like breastfeeding jaundice to me. Especially since the
doctor has mentioned surgery. If it turns out that there is something wrong
with the baby and it's liver, you can email me about it because my daughter
was born without bile ducts in her liver that resulted in a liver
transplant. Hopefully, it isn't anything, but with them having to see a
specialist and the doctor mentioning surgery, it sounds like the path we
took with our daughter.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)
I'm Just a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World...

Herself > wrote in message
...
> Has anyone heard of breastfeeding jaundice? A friend of a friend who I
> met today has a 3-week-old who was diagnosed with it. I've never heard
> of it...but that's not saying much :-). Any info on it appreciated!!
> One doc told her that the baby would need some type of bile surgery!
> (She is now going to a specialist)...
> --
> 'Tis Herself

[Nevermind]

(Herself) wrote in message >...
> Has anyone heard of breastfeeding jaundice? A friend of a friend who I
> met today has a 3-week-old who was diagnosed with it. I've never heard
> of it...but that's not saying much :-). Any info on it appreciated!!
> One doc told her that the baby would need some type of bile surgery!
> (She is now going to a specialist)...


My 3rd baby was diagnosed with it. It is nothing to worry about.
Nothing is ever done to treat it. If surgery is necessary, then that
means the baby doesn't have breastmilk jaundice.

I will quote you the section on it in Penelope Leach's Your Baby and
Child (emphasis is from the original):

"The presence of an unusual chemical in the breast milk (which does
the mother no harm at all) impairs the efficiency of the baby's liver
in dealing with finished red blood cells. The doctor makes the
diagnosis of "breast milk jaundice" by _excluding_ every other
possible cause for the baby's yellowness. Once he or she is certain
that this chemical is the only possible cause, there is no further
reason for concern, because _breast milk jaundice is never dangerous_.
The baby can go home . . . and within a few weeks of full
breast-feeding, his body will adapt, his liver will build up to its
full efficiency and the jaunidice will clear. _Breast milk jaundice is
not a contra-indication for breastfeeding._ It does not mean that you.
.. . are poisoning your baby."

HTH

[Nikki]

Herself wrote:
> Has anyone heard of breastfeeding jaundice? A friend of a friend who
> I met today has a 3-week-old who was diagnosed with it. I've never
> heard of it...but that's not saying much :-). Any info on it
> appreciated!! One doc told her that the baby would need some type of
> bile surgery! (She is now going to a specialist)...


Hunter (full term) started getting jaundiced on day three and he was 4wks
old before the yellowness completely went away. I have no idea what his
bilirubin levels were so they either didn't check or they weren't
concerning. I know they weren't checked at his two week appt. even though
he was quite yellow then. Hunter had nothing other then breastmilk and no
mention was made to give anything else. No one was overly concerned about
it at all. I think this is breastfeeding jaundice. I mentioned that it
started on day 3. I read on one of these newsgroups that breastfeeding
jaundice starts a few days after birth and that if a baby is jaundice right
away it is something else. I don't know if that is true.

So I'd either say your friends doc was a real idiot or that that she is
concerned something more serious is going on.

--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)