Why does breast milk jaundice?

Breast milk jaundice is usually caused by breast milk factors or neonatal factors.

1. Breast milk factor: Breast milk factor is usually due to the high level of β-glucuronidase in breast milk, which increases the separation of intestinal glucuronic acid and bilirubin in the intestine, so that the unbound bilirubin is absorbed by the intestine again, thereby increasing the burden on the liver and causing breast milk jaundice.

2. Neonatal factors: if the liver of the newborn is rich in uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase, it will affect the ability of the liver to process bilirubin, causing the symptoms of breast milk jaundice.

In general, breast milk jaundice does not need to be treated, and the symptoms of jaundice can be significantly reduced after 24~48 hours of stopping feeding. If the child's bilirubin level meets the standard of phototherapy, phototherapy can be given under the guidance of a doctor, which can reduce the amount of unbound bilirubin in the serum and cause skin jaundice to resolve. The prognosis for breast milk jaundice is generally good, with only a small number of children developing bilirubin encephalopathy.