Dawn and all,
    I think Dawn is on the right track.  If it's true that a majority of
babies that are breastfed have bili levels that are 'high' in comparison to
adult levels then it seems that there must be something normal about that!
Dr. Gardner, at a conference in Sept.2000 spoke to this very notion.  He was
beginning to think that there might be some protective characteristic in the
bilirubin, since so many babies have levels this high.  Kernicterus is
different, but a bili level that hangs in a 'high'(5-12 or so) range maybe
is healthy.
    I stick to my belief that the creator, whoever it is for you, created us
wonderfully and well.  It is ours to figure out why we are made this way and
not to keep trying to 'correct' the problems we have. (ie, little volume of
colostrum at birth so that a baby would NEED(?) supplementing, etc)  So
maybe this 'high' bili level is really a normal phenomenon. Hmmmm....
    I just returned from a Ped Committee meeting here in my hospital.
Someone brought up the fact that JCAOH has had their arms twisted by a
militant parent group that is concerned(mild term, I guess)about kernicterus
and the monitoring of bili levels.  So JCAOH is going to be looking this
next year into how hospitals keep bili levels down! Where will this leave
us?  Do I see even more 'medical' need for supplementation? AHHH!
        Betsy Wells-Gephart RN, IBCLC in Chandler AZ
            (where it's finally in the 30's! at night)

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