Has your baby also developed jaundice due to breast milk? (Breast Milk Jaundice) Don't worry, let's talk about this!

The joy a mother or father feels when they have a new baby cannot be expressed in words, right? At the same time, even the smallest things can cause great fear. Anyone would be scared if they saw that their little one's body and the whites of their eyes were a little yellow. We call this 'Jaundice'. This condition is especially common among babies who are exclusively breastfed. So today, let's talk about this jaundice that occurs during breastfeeding , that is, 'Breast Milk Jaundice' .

What exactly is jaundice?

Simply put, jaundice is not a disease, it is a symptom of a disease. This condition occurs when there is an increase in the yellow pigment called bilirubin in our blood.

Think about it, the red blood cells in our body also have a certain lifespan. When these cells die, when they break down, something called bilirubin is produced. This is a normal process. Then our liver takes this bilirubin and processes it in a way that it can be excreted from the body. Then it leaves the body with feces.

But a newborn baby's liver isn't fully developed yet. So sometimes it can't process this bilirubin quickly enough and get it out of the body. Then that yellow bilirubin builds up in the blood and gets deposited in places like the baby's skin and the whites of the eyes. That's what we call jaundice.

It is normal for about 6 to 8 out of 10 newborn babies to have some degree of jaundice. This is called 'Physiologic Jaundice'. It will subside within a few days.

What are the causes of Breast Milk Jaundice?

The exact cause of this is not yet known, but doctors believe that a substance in mother's milk slows down the baby's liver's ability to break down bilirubin. It may also be genetic, meaning it's passed down through generations.

We need to be aware of two types of jaundice that occur in breastfed babies.

Other factors that increase the risk of jaundice

• Premature birth: Babies born prematurely have a reduced ability to remove bilirubin because their livers are not well developed.
• Blood type incompatibility between mother and baby: If the mother's blood type is O and the baby's blood type is A or B, or if the mother is Rh negative (-) and the baby is Rh positive (+), antibodies produced in the mother's body can destroy the baby's red blood cells. This can cause bilirubin levels to increase.
• Increased red blood cell count at birth: The more red blood cells there are, the more bilirubin is produced when they break down.
• Genetic problems: Some genetic conditions cause red blood cells to break easily (fragile).

What are the symptoms of this? How do you recognize it?

The main and most obvious symptom is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. This yellowing starts on the face and can then spread to the chest , abdomen, and finally the legs.

As bilirubin levels increase further, other symptoms may appear:

• Showing more sleepiness than usual.
• Difficulty or reluctance to drink milk.
• Frequent crying or acting agitated.
• Feeling sloppy.

This is how to check if a baby has jaundice.

Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if a baby has jaundice because they have darker skin. In such cases, try this: In a well-lit area, gently press your finger against the baby's forehead or nose and take a look. If the area turns yellow instead of turning white and returning to its normal color when you take your finger, it could be jaundice .

Do you need to see a doctor?

Breast Milk Jaundice usually gets better on its own. However, in some cases, it is necessary to seek medical advice. If you have even the slightest doubt in your mind, do not hesitate to see a doctor.

Be sure to inform a doctor in the following cases:

• If the baby is not breastfeeding well.
• If the baby looks or acts sick.
• If you are feeling more sleepy than usual.
• If the yellowness seems to be getting worse (for example, if it spreads to the legs).
• If the baby's stool is pale or the urine is dark yellow/brown.

The doctor will examine the baby and, if necessary, may order a blood test to check the bilirubin level in the blood. Sometimes, a light machine may be used to measure bilirubin levels by shining a special light on the skin.

How is it treated?

As I mentioned earlier, Breast Milk Jaundice often resolves without treatment. Treatment is only required if the baby's bilirubin levels are significantly higher than the safe levels recommended by doctors.

Treatment is decided based on factors such as:

• The baby's age.
• Was the baby born prematurely?
• The rate at which bilirubin levels rise.
• Baby's breastfeeding style and health status.

If bilirubin levels are very high, the following treatments are used:

• Phototherapy: This is the most commonly used method. Here, the baby is exposed to a special blue light, with only the eyes covered. This light can change the structure of bilirubin molecules, allowing them to be more easily excreted from the body in urine and stool.
• Staying well hydrated (Fluids): Breastfeeding your baby well or giving him other fluids as directed by your doctor, if necessary, will help speed up the removal of bilirubin from the body.
• Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG): This is given to babies who have jaundice due to a blood type incompatibility between the mother and the baby. This is a shot given through a vein.
• Exchange Blood Transfusion: This is a very rare procedure. If the bilirubin level becomes too high to be controlled, the baby's blood is gradually removed and replaced with compatible blood. This is done to prevent brain damage in an emergency.

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