Breast milk jaundice is a common cause of jaundice and there are individual differences in the time it takes for the jaundice to subside, which can take 3 to 12 weeks.
Breast milk jaundice usually refers to breastfed babies who remain jaundiced for a period of time after birth, and the diagnosis is exclusionary when unconjugated bilirubin is seen to be elevated on a complete bilirubin test, and other causes of jaundice need to be ruled out, such as congenital atresia of the bile ducts, infections, or hemolytic disorders.
The etiology of the disease is unclear and may be related to higher levels of certain enzymes, such as glucuronidase, in breast milk, as well as metabolic factors related to the baby’s liver.
It is generally believed that the time for it to subside is usually around 3 to 12 weeks, with significant individual differences. Such babies may stop breastfeeding for 24 to 48 hours, and the jaundice may be significantly reduced, and then worsen again after resumption of breastfeeding, but this type of jaundice is not a contraindication to breastfeeding.
Breast milk jaundice is recommended to go to the hospital and consult a specialist.