Question
My daughter is 1 year old, and when she was 6 days old, the doctor checked her and found her jaundice level to be 9.8. I’m not sure if this is considered high or how to ask about it. I’ve searched online but haven’t found any results. Is a newborn’s jaundice level of 9.8 high?
Answer
Considering the possibility of breastmilk jaundice, a jaundice level of 9.8 is only slightly high. When confirmed as breastmilk jaundice, it is not recommended to stop breastfeeding but rather to feed in small amounts and more frequently, perform abdominal massage in a clockwise direction to increase intestinal peristalsis, take traditional Chinese medicine for anti-jaundice to promote bilirubin excretion, expose the baby to sunlight to alter the structure of indirect bilirubin into a form that is beneficial for excretion in urine. Breastfeeding should only be stopped if the bilirubin level exceeds 15 mg/dL. If the bilirubin level significantly decreases, it is considered breastmilk jaundice, and breastfeeding can still continue.