Don't live with that explanation because to me it does not really make
sense.

Bilirubin may be elevated for many reasons.  One of the major ones is
that the baby is nursing poorly and thus getting little milk.  All sorts
of medication given to the mother during labour could induce a baby to
be sleepy, or suck poorly or somehow otherwise interfere with
breastfeeding.

On the other hand, jaundice is normal in exclusively breastfed, well
gaining babies, into the second and even third month of life.  Usually
it is just a touch, but occasionally, particularly in Asian babies, it
is more than a touch.  The fact that this occurs in most babies means
it's normal.  What is not normal is formula feeding associated absence
of jaundice.

Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC