All Things Breastfeeding Episode 84: Jaundice and Infant Hypoglycemia

All Things Breastfeeding Podcast

Jaundice and Hypoglycemia

Did you know there are new guidelines for diagnosing and treating jaundice and infant hypoglycemia? In this episode, Barbara Robertson and Nancy Mohrbacher discuss updates to the clinical practice guidelines for safe bilirubin levels and when babies might need intervention.

Nancy and Barbara review why bilirubin levels are important and some of the risk factors, like baby’s gestational age. And there’s the question, is a baby’s stooling is a good indicator of milk input and bilirubin levels?

It’s also important to remember that when babies are diagnosed and treated for high bilirubin levels, there can be longer-term effects on breastfeeding and how parents view their baby. Nancy describes a recent study that compares the impact of the new guidelines versus the previous guidelines, and how this may lead to changes in the approach to monitoring and treating jaundice.

They discuss the importance of skin-to-skin contact and its impact on bilirubin levels. Barbara and Nancy also talk about the use of oral dextrose gel to treat infant hypoglycemia, as an alternative to formula.

This is one of a series of podcasts that shares new research related to the breast/chestfeeding / lactation / infant feeding world as Barbara Robertson and Nancy Mohrbacher work on the newest edition of Breastfeeding Answers! You can also have access to the newest research and Barbara and Nancy’s reflections on these studies by subscribing to LactaLearning’s newsletter or following LactaLearning on Instagram or Facebook!

References for this podcast:

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine protocols #1, #22: https://www.bfmed.org/protocols

Kemper, 2022. “Clinical Practice Guideline Revision: Management of Hyperbilirubinemia in the Newborn Infant 35 or More Weeks of Gestation” –https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35927462/

Sarathy, 2024. “Bilirubin Measurement and Phototherapy Use After the AAP 2022 Newborn Hyperbilirubinemia Guideline” – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38482582/

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