Cindy referred us to an article on the web called Management of
Hyperbilirubinemia in the healthy Full-term infant.  I downloaded it, and was
piqued by a statement -- maybe someone here can help me out with this...

"Breast-milk jaundice refers to prolonged jaundice that extends into the
third and fourth weeks of life and even up to 12 weeks.  Breast-milk jaundice
occurs in almost TWO THIRDS (that's 66% folks) of all breast fed infants;
levels range from the most minimal elevations (over 1.5 mg/dl) to more than
17 mg/dl."

There is no reference for that statement.

Neifert, in Clinics in Perinatology, June, 1999 makes almost the same sort of
statement.  She says, "Originally thought to be a rare disorder, it is now
recognized that most of normal, breastfed infants have elevated bilirubin
concentrations during the third week of life."  She references an article she
wrote in Clinics in Perinatology, June 1998 which I haven't been able to get
my hands on yet.

Ronald Poland of Wayne State University -- waaaay back when I was at the
Family Birthing Center published a bunch of articles on breastmilk jaundice
and stated that it is found approximately 1 in every 200 breastfed babies --
a 1/2%.

I'm obviously missing something here.  Can someone shed some (bili)light on
this for me?

Thanks!

Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC

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