Understanding and managing breast milk jaundice.
The breastfed infant with prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia can present a vexing clinical dilemma. Although it is a frequently observed and usually benign finding, prolonged jaundice in the breastfed newborn requires a thoughtful evaluation that excludes possible pathological aetiologies. While recommendations for the treatment of unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia in the first 7 days of life are straightforward, the approach to the breastfeeding infant with jaundice that persists beyond the immediate neonatal period is less clearly delineated. A sound understanding of bilirubin physiology and familiarity with current literature must guide the management of the otherwise well breastfeeding infant with prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia.
Preer
Genevieve L
GL
Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Philipp
Barbara L
BL
D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005955:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D009626:Terminology as Topic
D001663:Bilirubin