Can newborn jaundice still be breastfed

Before birth, the fetus grows in the mother's womb, which is a low-oxygen environment relative to the atmosphere. As in people living in highlands, there is an increase in red blood cells to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood. After birth, the baby begins to exchange gases with the atmosphere through the lungs, inhales more oxygen, a large number of red blood cells become redundant, and the body decays to form bilirubin, a substance that causes jaundice. As a result, the baby's skin turns yellow.

Neonatal jaundice is artificially divided into physiological and pathological two, pathological jaundice requires irradiation, intravenous albumin infusion, and even exchange transfusion.Illumination is the most commonly used medical anti-yellowing method in hospitals, which is a kind of physiotherapy and is quite safe. For breastfed infants, breast milk may contain an enzyme that makes some infants have jaundice for a long time, even up to 2~3 months. As long as the jaundice is not severe, breastfeeding can be continued.

The severity of infantile jaundice is not related to the duration of jaundice, but only to the degree of jaundice. If the jaundice index is less than 18 mg/dL after the first week of life, breastfeeding should be continued. Some breastfed infants have jaundice that lasts for up to 2~3 months. Jaundice should not be used to doubt the correctness of breastfeeding, and only a few days of breastfeeding should be stopped if hyperbilirubinemia develops. The need for phototherapy for neonatal jaundice is closely related to the degree of jaundice and the time of birth.