title: Breast milk jaundice correlates with high levels of epidermal growth factor.
abstract: Maternal milk plays an important role in breast milk jaundice (BMJ) development and is the major source of epidermal growth factor (EGF) for neonates. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between EGF levels in the infant serum and in the milk of nursing mothers and BMJ. Two groups were defined: study group (n = 30), newborns who were followed up for BMJ without any identifiable pathologic cause; control group, healthy newborns whose serum total bilirubin levels were <10 mg/dL. Milk and infant plasma samples were collected between the third and the fourth postpartum week. EGF concentrations in all of the samples were determined by using ELISA. The infants with BMJ had higher concentrations of EGF in the serum and in the breast milk compared with that of the infants without BMJ. The milk concentrations of EGF were significantly correlated with neonatal bilirubin and blood EGF concentrations. The degree of BMJ was associated with the increased levels of milk borne EGF. Although the exact mechanisms of the hyperbilirubinemic action of EGF are not completely known, the inhibition of gastric motility, increased absorption, and activation of bilirubin transport have been suggested as possible mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, 35340 Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumral
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.forename: Nuray
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Duman
authors.forename: Didem Cemile
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Yesilirmak
authors.forename: Huray
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Islekel
authors.forename: Yilmaz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozalp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001942:Breast Feeding; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000097:blood*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D001663:Bilirubin