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Breast milk jaundice

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Definition:

Breast milk jaundice is persistently high levels of bilirubin in a newborn's blood caused by certain substances found in breast milk . Bilirubin is a yellow-colored fluid that forms when red blood cells break down.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Jaundice is caused by high levels of bilirubin , a substance made by the liver.

If jaundice occurs or persists past the first week of life in an otherwise healthy and thriving breast-fed infant, the condition is called "breast milk jaundice." It is probably caused by factors in the breast milk that blocks certain proteins in the liver.

Breast milk jaundice tends to run in families. It occurs equally often in males and females and affects approximately 0.5% to 2.4% of all newborns.

• Review Date: 10/25/2006
• Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, M.D., FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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