There are AAP Guidelines from 1994 and 1995...so this is NOT new information.
(This is available at www.aap.org/policy/pcyhome.cfm)

According to those recommendations, this baby's bilirubin level at 38 hours
was not high enough to even need to "CONSIDER" phototherapy.

And to quote directly from these AAP guidelines:
<<The AAP discourages the interruption of breast-feeding in healthy term
newborns and encourages continued and frequent breast-feeding (at least eight
to ten times every 24 hours). Supplementing nursing with water or dextrose
water does not lower the bilirubin level in jaundiced, healthy,
breast-feeding infants. Depending on the mother's preference and the
physician's judgment, however, a variety of options are presented in Table 3
for possible implementation beyond observation, including supplementation of
breast-feeding with formula or the temporary interruption of breast-feeding
and substitution with formula, either of which can be accompanied by
phototherapy. >>

Nice cop-out there at the end about using formula, but there is no doubt
these folks over-reacted here, assuming this was an otherwise healthy, term
newborn.


Kathy Leeper, MD
(The Pediatrician in Lincoln, NE
working on opening up a Breastfeeding Support Center)

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