A BRIEF SCAN of literature, it seems much of infant jaundice (referred to as
BMJ--Breast Milk Jaundice) may be as much caused by pitocin/oxytocin as by BF
and may not always be cause for concern. Most interesting were some of the
bile articles dicussing FF with low taurine rates (needed for brain
development, I recall) while BF had high taurine rates. Also most
interesting were some of the sarticles discussing how jaundiced BF infants
may have higher bile/bilirubin rates but no necessarily bad health
differences than non-jaundiced....and YET BF infants as a rule had higher
levels of much needed long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Seems another
paradox of maybe "OK Jaundice"?
PMID: 10565065, 3/1999, Case Report: Oestrogen transdermal patches used as
prophylaxis of post partum depression cautioned as effecting jaundice and
poor weight gain.
PMID: 889741, Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1977 Jun;84(6):452-5 ....neonatal jaundice
rate of 8-6 per cent prompted a retrospective survey of 981 full term
infants. There was a highly significant association between increased
oxytocin dosage and neonatal jaundice in induced labours. A significant
association was also demonstrated between neonatal jaundice and both
breast-feeding and minor infections. No association was demonstrated between
neonatal jaundice and the method of delivery of birth weight. The results of
the survey suggest that while oxytocin in high doses should be used with
caution, the benefits obtained from the drug outweigh the risk of
hyperbilirubinaemia which it may cause.
PMID: 3353184, Pediatrics 1988 Apr;81(4):505-11...in 2,416 consecutive
infants admitted to our well baby nursery.... A serum bilirubin concentration
greater than 12.9 mg/dL was associated strongly with breast-feeding (P =
.0000) and percentage of weight loss after birth (P = .0001), as well as with
maternal diabetes, oriental race, decreased gestational age, male sex,
bruising, and induction of labor with oxytocin. These calculations show
that, in certain infants, "nonphysiologic" jaundice is likely to develop and
its presence in such infants might not require laboratory investigations. In
others, a modest degree of hyperbilirubinemia could be cause for concern. An
awareness of these factors and their potential contribution to serum
bilirubin levels permits a more rational approach to the action levels used
for the investigation of jaundice in the newborn. We need a new definition of
PHYSIOLOGIC JAUNDICE.
PMID: 1476840: NAACOGS Clin Issu Perinat Womens Health Nurs
1992;3(4):613-9....Jaundice occurs in 50-75% of newborn infants and is noted
to occur more frequently and with greater severity in breastfed infants.
However, despite years of investigation of this common problem, many aspects
of neonatal jaundice in healthy breastfed infants remain unexplained.
PMID: 1999786: J Pediatr 1991 Mar;118(3):425-30...these data support the
theory that enhanced intestinal absorption of bilirubin contributes to the
jaundice associated with breast-feeding.
PMID: 4045632: J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1985 Oct;4(5):741-5 ...the mean
levels of individual bile acid conjugates found in jaundiced breastfed
infants were not significantly different from those in breast-fed infants
without jaundice. The glycine- to taurine-conjugated bile acid ratio in
breast-fed jaundiced infants was significantly lower than in breast-fed
nonjaundiced infants or bottle-fed nonjaundiced infants. In breast-fed
infants, the portion of taurine-conjugated bile acids increased in proportion
to serum bilirubin levels. These findings suggest that alteration in
conjugated bile acid patterns of breast milk jaundice is related to an
increased enterohepatic circulation of bile acids as well as bilirubin in
infants fed on breast milk that contains high amounts of taurine.
***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
