Question
My baby’s bilirubin level is 8.8, and it’s been over a month. Can giving newborns glucose water help reduce jaundice?
Answer
Newborn jaundice can be somewhat mitigated by drinking glucose water, but generally, glucose is not recommended for this purpose. Newborn jaundice is typically physiological jaundice, which usually disappears after 14 days. Generally, glucose water can be given in the hospital. However, it is not advisable to give glucose water. One concern is the risk of aspiration pneumonia, and another is the fear of affecting the baby’s breastfeeding (since newborns tend to absorb too much glucose water when drinking it, as it has a taste that is more easily accepted than breast milk, and it gives them a false sense of fullness, thereby affecting milk intake). This is why newborns with jaundice should not drink glucose water.