Hi, All:  In reading the responses to my previous post on jaundice, it
struck me that the "guidelines" that are out there seem to focus on
quality/quantity of  feeding as the "only" predictive factor in how high a
bili goes.  But what about baby's gestational age, number and type of
interventions during labor and birth, as well as the typical hospital
rountines (separation, etc)?  I feel these things count way more than
feeding in many instances, with the quality of feedings suffering because
of typical interventions and hospital routines thus starting the
predisposition toward jaundice.  My 2nd baby was born healthy at 35 weeks
(24 hour discharge - my choice) and at 72 hours of age her bili was 23 and
she was a lovely orange color.  Her ped wanted me to stop nursing for 48
hrs and give her formula.  When my power of speech returned I told him "I
don't think so".  After all she was eating, peeing, and pooping.  What else
should we have expected of her?  A recitation of the Gettysburg address?
She spent about a week on a bili blanket, eating, peeing, and pooping, and
was yellow for about a month and today is in the honors program in her
middle school.  What was her issue?  Probably a 35 week liver just not able
to process RBCs as efficiently as a 40 week liver.
But I am glad to see that breastfeeding promotion and support is figuring
so prominently in these guidelines.  Now, if we could only realize what we
do in hospitals also plays an important negative role in all this.

Pam Hirsch, RN,BSN,CLC
Clinical Lead, Lactation Services
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Barrington, IL   USA

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html