New mommy needs jaundice help!!?

Question

My baby is 5 days old and his jaundice levels keep going up, right now they are 16...is that too high?..i need advice and reasurance from moms who've been there and how they helped flush the jaundice off their babies.

Answer 1

Sunlight is the great remedy for jaundiced babies. You should leave your baby in front of a window to let the natural sunlight get to him....but for short periods of time b/c you want to protect his delicate skin.

FLUIDS! That is a great way to "flush" the system. My daughter got up to 15 and I was so scared. But just keep offering your baby food. Breastmilk is best for jaundice if you are breastfeeding. If not, offer as many bottles as the baby will take. Make sure your baby is urinating plenty too. That makes sure that the jaundice is being flushed from the system.

You should talk to your baby's doctor about a special light that can be brought to your home. The baby will have to lay under the light (kind of like an incubator) for a few days except while bathiing and changing diapers, and they'll have to be naked (except for a diaper) but that helps flush the jaundice too.

I hope your baby gets better! I know how scary it is. By the way. I'm sure your baby's eyes are getting a little yellow and discolored. If they haven't yet, they will...don't worry. It could take WEEKS to clear up, but it will happen. My daughters levels went down to normal and her eyes stayed yellow-tinged for about 3 weeks. I hated it, but it's fine. It's because it's farthest away from the liver and it takes longest to clear b/c the "skin" is so thin so you see it the most.

I would recommend seeking a professional about the light or some solution b/c if the levels get too high it can cause permanent damage, but right now, you have nothing to worry about if you treat it right away!

Best of luck!!!

Answer 2

The liver changes bilirubin so that it can be eliminated from the body (the changed bilirubin is now called conjugated, direct reacting, or water soluble bilirubin--all three terms mean essentially the same thing). If, however, the liver is functioning poorly, as occurs during some infections, or the tubes that transport the bilirubin to the gut are blocked, this changed bilirubin may accumulate in the blood and also cause jaundice. When this occurs, the changed bilirubin appears in the urine and turns the urine brown. This brown urine is an important clue that the jaundice is not "ordinary". Jaundice due to conjugated bilirubin is always abnormal, frequently serious and needs to be investigated thoroughly and immediately. Except in the case of a few extremely rare metabolic diseases, breastfeeding can and should continue.

Accumulation of bilirubin before it has been changed by the enzyme of the liver may be normal—"physiologic jaundice" (this bilirubin is called unconjugated, indirect reacting or fat soluble bilirubin). Physiologic jaundice begins about the second day of the baby's life, peaks on the third or fourth day and then begins to disappear. However, there may be other conditions that may require treatment that can cause an exaggeration of this type of jaundice. Because these conditions have no association with breastfeeding, breastfeeding should continue. If, for example, the baby has severe jaundice due to rapid breakdown of red blood cells, this is not a reason to take the baby off the breast. Breastfeeding should continue in such a circumstance.

So-called Breastmilk Jaundice
There is a condition commonly called breastmilk jaundice. No one knows what the cause of breastmilk jaundice is. In order to make this diagnosis, the baby should be at least a week old, though interestingly, many of the babies with breastmilk jaundice also have had exaggerated physiologic jaundice. The baby should be gaining well, with breastfeeding alone, having lots of bowel movements, passing plentiful, clear urine and be generally well (handout #4 Is My Baby Getting Enough Milk?). In such a setting, the baby has what some call breastmilk jaundice, though, on occasion, infections of the urine or an under functioning of the baby's thyroid gland, as well as a few other even rarer illnesses may cause the same picture. Breastmilk jaundice peaks at 10-21 days, but may last for two or three months. Breastmilk jaundice is normal. Rarely, if ever, does breastfeeding need to be discontinued even for a short time. Only very occasionally is any treatment, such as phototherapy, necessary. There is not one bit of evidence that this jaundice causes any problem at all for the baby. Breastfeeding should not be discontinued "in order to make a diagnosis". If the baby is truly doing well on breast only, there is no reason, none, to stop breastfeeding or supplement with a lactation aid, for that matter. The notion that there is something wrong with the baby being jaundiced comes from the assumption that the formula feeding baby is the standard by which we should determine how the breastfed baby should be. This manner of thinking, almost universal amongst health professionals, truly turns logic upside down. Thus, the formula feeding baby is rarely jaundiced after the first week of life, and when he is, there is usually something wrong. Therefore, the baby with so-called breastmilk jaundice is a concern and "something must be done". However, in our experience, most exclusively breastfed babies who are perfectly healthy and gaining weight well are still jaundiced at five to six weeks of life and even later. The question, in fact, should be whether or not it is normal not to be jaundiced and is this absence of jaundice something we should worry about? Do not stop breastfeeding for “breastmilk” jaundice.

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/07jaundice.html

Answer 3

16 isn't terribly high. I don't think the docs get very concerned until it hits 20.

Nurse nurse nurse nurse! The more you nurse, the more baby will poop. The more baby poops, the quicker the jaundice is eliminated.

It may be difficult this time of year, but get baby some sunlight, as that will also help get rid of the jaundice.

BTW.....
Jaundice is almost NEVER a reason to stop breastfeeding. Even if they do want to "measure intake" they can weigh baby before and after each feeding. DO NOT suspend breastfeeding without speaking to a Lactation Consultant first.

Answer 4

I have 3 boys and 2 have my children have had jaundice. With my first child the jaundice levels were to high and they ordered my a Billie blanket for home use and within 2 days his levels were normal and then stayed that way. My second sons levels were not that high so the doctor said to put him in some sunlight, so I put him in front of the window were the sun shined threw and the next day when we went to have him checked he was fine. So either call your insurance and see if they cover the home useBillie blanket and if not try putting him in some light. GOOD LUCK!!!!

Answer 5

Encourage your baby too eat more, and if you live in a place that is sunny take your baby outside and expose it to the sun light.
I have no idea what a high jaundice level is, as my children never had that problem, but I know those 2 things help. Also you should be going to the doctor in a few days, talk about it with him.

Answer 6

The same exact things happened to us when our baby was that age. Levels peak between 5-7 days old. We had to put him under the bilirubin lights for 2 days which helped. Your pediatrician should take action if he thinks the levels are too high. Feeding your baby a lot will help him get the bilirubin out of his system. That helps break it down and he will go to the bathroom a lot. Jaundice is very common, but understandable traumatizing. Levels above 21 are considered pretty high. Our son's levels did reach 16, but the bili lights definitely helped. Ask your pediatrician if he recommends that.

Answer 7

Yes, Indirect sunlight was what the doctor adviced me. But remember, do cover the baby's eyes with a piece of cloth. My cousin had myopia since young because they did not do that. If the level keeps going up, do go to the doctor who will prick his heel for a bit of blood for testing and may put him under UV ray. Don't worry. Jaundice is very common and with common sense, he will get will. Mine did, in a week.

Good luck and congrats.

Answer 8

Yes, 16 is a bit high. When my son was 5 days old, he had his first check-up, and with a bilirubin count of 21, they readmitted him to the hospital for 3 days to be under special lights. When they did that, I was not allowed to breastfeed, because they had to measure intake and outgo of all his food, but they loaned me a pump so he could still have breast milk. After 3 days in the hospital, and a day with a special light unit at home, he was just fine.

I would ask your doctor about it, and see what he/she recommends. Jaundice can be serious if left untreated, but as it is very common among babies, it may be treatable at home, but only if the levels aren't shooting up.

Answer 9

3 of my children had jaundice. Put your baby in front of the window to get some sun light, the best time to do that is in the morning. Thats really all you can do. If it gets worse he will need to be hosptialized. Good luck. Just remember LOTS and LOTS of sunlight!

Answer 10

My daughter was hospitalized for jaundice, my advice is put the baby in lots of sunlight. give the baby some sugar water ( just a lil bit of sugar to taste). That will help flush it out. Also ask your doctor for a Billie blanket. If your baby does get put in the hospital, he will be OK i promise. They will put him in an incubator with whats called Billie lights (purple lights) he will wear funny cloth goggles to help keep the Keep out of his eyes they will also put an iv in to help the baby get extra fluids. soon his Billie will be better and he can return home. I have been there done that with my daughter. I stayed right by her side the whole time. Are you Breast or bottle feeding? if you are breast maybe your not producing enough milk for the baby right now. Talk with your Doctor. good luck.