Question
My baby is 20 days old today, and their bilirubin level was 7.2 around 12 days ago. Today, it has increased to 10.4. Why does a newborn’s jaundice level keep fluctuating, and what are the impacts?
Answer
If the baby is exclusively breastfed, we need to consider milk jaundice. If it’s not milk jaundice and the full-term infant’s jaundice recurs, it must be pathological and requires further careful examination. Stop breastfeeding and switch to formula feeding for 5 days before re-testing; the jaundice caused by breastfeeding will significantly decrease. When treating newborn jaundice, while understanding professional treatment, you can also use dietary therapy as an adjunctive treatment in daily life. Avoid overeating or undereating in daily meals; do not indulge in excessive eating and drinking.