Breast milk jaundice

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Breast milk jaundice

Definition:

Breast milk jaundice is persistent jaundice in the newborn, caused by certain enzyme inhibitors found in the breast milk. It occurs after the first week of life and may continue up to the sixth week of life in otherwise healthy and exclusively breast-fed infants.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

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Jaundice is a yellowish tinge to the skin and/or eyes. Jaundice in a newborn (neonatal jaundice) is a common and normal occurrence caused by excess bilirubin (a breakdown product of hemoglobin made by the liver).

All babies have some degree of jaundice. Breast-fed babies often have more severe jaundice. This is known as "breast feeding jaundice." While there is no scientific proof, some experts think this exaggerated jaundice provides the baby with antioxidant effects, protecting the infant from tissue injury or disease.

If the jaundice occurs or persists past the first week in an otherwise healthy and thriving breast-fed infant, this condition is called "breast milk jaundice." The cause is thought to relate to factors in the breast milk itself which inhibit certain enzymes in the liver.

Breast milk jaundice does tend to run in families. It is seen equally in males and females and affects approximately 0.5% to 2.4% of live births.