Breast milk jaundice symptoms and manifestations

Breast milk is the most important food for babies because it contains essential nutrients for babies, which is an advantage that formula milk does not have. However, the quality of breast milk has a great impact on the growth and health of the baby. Some mothers will experience deteriorating breast milk quality due to physical reasons. Among them, breast milk jaundice is also an important factor affecting the health of the baby. Let’s take a look at the symptoms and manifestations of breast milk jaundice.

Breast milk jaundice is jaundice caused by breastfeeding. In most cases, jaundice occurs because certain components in breast milk cause absorption disorders or excretion problems in the baby.

When a baby is born, his skin is rosy, but soon after being breastfed, his skin turns yellow. The most obvious symptom is that the mucous membranes, skin and other tissues are stained yellow. The baby's skin color will be yellowish and the whites of the eyes will also be yellow. The jaundice will disappear quickly after breastfeeding is stopped. Jaundice will be significantly alleviated 48 to 72 hours after stopping breastfeeding. Although stopping breastfeeding is not recommended, the baby can be fed in small amounts and frequently, and abdominal massage can be performed in a clockwise direction to increase intestinal motility. Chinese patent medicine for jaundice can be taken to promote the excretion of bilirubin, and more sun exposure can be used to change the structure of indirect bilirubin.

In patients with hyperbilirubinemia who are breastfed after birth without other reasons, the bilirubin level can often reach 256.5-342 μmol/L (15-20 mg/dl), with the main symptom being an increase in indirect bilirubin. The newborn is generally in good condition, feeds well, and grows and develops normally. Jaundice can last from 3 weeks to 3 months.

Once it is confirmed to be breast milk jaundice, it is not recommended to stop breastfeeding. Instead, the baby can be fed in small meals frequently, and abdominal massage can be performed in a clockwise direction to increase intestinal motility. Chinese patent medicine for jaundice can be taken to promote the excretion of bilirubin, and more sun exposure can be used to change the structure of indirect bilirubin to form photoisomers that facilitate excretion in the urine. Only when the bilirubin level exceeds 15 mg/dl can breastfeeding be suspended for observation. If it drops significantly and is confirmed to be breast milk jaundice, breastfeeding can still be continued.