Patient's question:
When my baby was a month old, the jaundice level was 13-11.4-12.5 mg/dL. After stopping breastfeeding for 3 days, the jaundice level dropped to 11.3-9.6-9.9 mg/dL. Is it breast milk jaundice?Doctor's answer:
Infants who are breastfed develop jaundice 4 to 7 days after birth, reaching a peak between 2 to 4 weeks (serum bilirubin levels can exceed 256.6 to 342.0 μmol/L), with generally good overall condition and no signs of hemolysis or anemia. The jaundice typically lasts for 3 to 4 weeks, gradually fading away in the second month, though in some cases it may persist for up to 10 weeks. If breastfeeding is stopped for 3 to 4 days during the jaundice period, the jaundice significantly improves, with bilirubin levels dropping by ≥50%. If breastfeeding resumes afterward, jaundice may not reappear, or if it does, it will not reach the previous severity. Therefore, based on the current situation, the possibility of breast milk jaundice is relatively high. Breast milk jaundice does not have specific grading, and no medication treatment is required.