Hi Netters, It always stirs things up in me when I read about jaundice, phototherapy, and BF. I use to run Medela, Inc. Home Phototherapy Program, nationally. I would certify and set up individual RNs (many IBCLCs) to run their own private home phototherapy business. I ran a phototherapy business for 10 years. My maddness for doing this was to get in the backdoor and have qualified nurses that were educated in lactation treating jaundice baby's and getting them off to a good start with breastfeeding. What I found is that as soon as you got these babies nursing, feeding and stooling the bili's would go right down.Yes, we did have those vaccum extraction/forcep babies that took alittle longer, but NONE needed to be taken off breast. Towards the end of my practice, Drs. were not treating, in this area, until bili's were 18 or above (normal physiological jaundice). People talk alot about natural sunlight vs phototherapy. Problem with sunlight is that you have to chase it around to make sure infant is always exposed and it ends later in the day. You also need to monitor infants temp and hydration conti. I would utilize the sun by wrapping infant in the biliblanket and sitting kido in infant seat exposed to sun (double phototherapy). Those bili's would come down so rapidly. It always fasinated me that when I would test the irradiance of the biliblanket or phototherapy unit it would be 8-12, even though the blankets will go 25-35 now. You measure the sunlight's irradiance, that is the measurement of the blue spectrum wavelength which should be 425-475 nanometers, would be 35 or above (microwatts/cm2/nm). In regards to retinal damage or someone else mentioned color damage, the study they used to show how the blue light effects the retina is by using pigs, prying open their eyes and have them stare into the lights for many hrs. Of course they are going to have damage. Look at the sunlight for that long and you too can get retinal damage.OK, I will get off my soapbox. It is cloudy here In the Chicago area today, bad day for sunlight phototherapy. Pat Bull RN, IBCLC The Breastfeeding Connection, Medela Naperville, IL