? Jaundice in Newborns

[raysnkaysmom]

I had my little boy on the 21st...he's now 6 days old.
When we left the hospital on Saturday, his bili-rubin (jaundice) count was 10.2. Supposedly they like it well below 12, but they requested we go to the dr on Monday to retest since he looked 'yellow'.
On Monday, his number went up to 14, so we went back yesterday. Then it went up to 15.1.
Now, today the results just came back at 16.8.
The number is supposed to go DOWN, not UP!.
But...the dr said since he is 6 days old now, his number should start dropping, and we don't have to go back til NEXT Wednesday to retest. She said if it would have been over 20 she would have ordered him under lamps. Now I just have to continue the breastfeeding and supplement 1-2x a day with formula for the next week, and we'll keep him by a window with sunlight...
Anyone have experience with this to tell me they are smart for not retesting him again tomorrow...or anything else I need to know?

Thanks

 

[Mouse House Mama]

We went through this with one of my sons. Keep doing what you are doing. Put the baby by the window as much as possible and feed as much as possible.

BTW- congrats!

 

[freckles and boo]

My older daughter was jaundiced and they kept her a few extra days at the hospital under lights. It is very common and sunlight serves the same purpose as the lamps. If you are still worried (and who wouldn't be?) insist on another test on Friday. I would have been happy to take the baby home. It was very hard to be discharged from the hospital without my child.

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

Congrats on the new addition to the familly!!

And don't worry (although I know all us moms do anyway), jaundice is really common in new babies.

Lots of sunlight, and everything should be fine.

 

[bfeller]

Both of my children were jaundice and had to stay in the hospital extra days. Do as the doctor says and he should be fine......window and plenty of fluids will do the trick

 

[java]

Baby by the window in as little clothing as possible. The light needs SURFACE to do the job. My first child had this and the sunlight did the trick. Good luck and CONGRATULATIONS.

 

[RadioNate]

DD was born 12/1 and our story is nearly exactly the same as your. The only difference was that I was told that anything over 18 needed treatment. However DD was only 5lbs 3oz so maybe that has something to do with it.

DD was discharged from the hospital on a Monday. She was tested Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday of that week. Her numbers were slightly down on the Friday test (6 days old) and then like you we were then tested the following week. DD's numbers were nearly normal for the test. She then came back 2 weeks later and wasn't tested because she no longer looked yellow.

You just need to feed feed feed. We also had to supplement. I'd also look into breastmilk jaundice if the numbers haven't decreased in a week.

 

[transparant]

Bilirubin is excreted two ways - through the skin...and through the stools. If you can get as much breastmilk in him as possible - that would be great, as breastmilk makes babies poop more. My kids all had very high bilirubin, and as a former lactation consultant...it was a pretty normal accurance in a very high percentage of babies.

Congrats on the new little one!

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

I think I might insist on a retest before next week. It very well might not be necessary, but you will feel better over the weekend.

I went through this w/ my youngest. I can't remember her numbers, but she stayed in the hosp, under lamps for 2 extra days. They let me stay too, thank goodness. I wasn't a patient, but they let me keep my room, and have her in there w/ me.

2 days later, we were admitted to Children's hosp for 2 nights. then back home for 2, and then back to the hosp for 1 more night. It was a very long first week of life for her. And sleeping in a hosp chairbed, was no picnic- postpartum.

Good luck, and keep her near the windows!! Hopefully, you have sunny days!

 

[jel0511]

It's amazing how things have changed in 10 years. When DD was born, the next night, she was diagnosed with jaundice. She was put under the lights immediately and I was no longer allowed to breastfeed. I was told that the formula helped them get it out of their systems faster. I was told to pump to help my milk come in, which it never did. DD was under the lights for 3 days in the hospital. I had a c-section, so I got my dr to allow me to stay in the hospital until she was discharged.

 

[Barbossa]

Our DS had jaundice. I forget what his Bili numbers were and when, but they gave us a UV "sleeve" that we wrapped around him for several hours/day. A real pain, but you do what you have to. I think he was on UV for a couple of weeks before his Bilirubin levels were normal. All was well after that.

 

[golfgal]

I agree, the more time by the window in just a diaper the better. Keep an eye on the whites of his eyes if those get worse, take him in.

 

[My2Angels]

Bilirubin peaks at 5-7 days in a newborn. You should see numbers going down tomorrow, especially if you are doing everything the doctors told you to do. I have seen numbers in the 20's at 5-6days and the babies did fine!

 

[wilderness01]

I agree, the more time by the window in just a diaper the better. Keep an eye on the whites of his eyes if those get worse, take him in.

Actually the white of the eyes are the first to get yellow and the last to get white again. I tell the patients jaundice starts at the head and goes down to the feet and then reverses on its way back out. So the head is the first to get yellow and the last to clear up so to speak.

Make sure you are nursing at least 8 to 12 times per day and that the baby is having 6 to 8 wet diapers/day and 2 stools/day. Watch his bottom for the bili rash as high bili babies poop more to get rid of the jaundice and therefore many develop diaper rash. You can start putting cream on the bottom as a precaution even if there is no rash. Someone else mentioned that breastfed babies poop more, and that is true, especially when you still have colostrum, which you do, but now it is mixed with your breastmilk so you may not be able to see it.

I would nurse first and then supplement with 1/2 ounce, or whatever the doctor told you, until the jaundice has cleared. I also would insist on another level on Friday so you can have piece of mind. Good luck.

 

[bsnyder]

2 of my 3 were jaundiced, and we had the lights at home, with a daily visit from a nurse to do the heel stick blood test. I also remember having to keep a log of how many times a day I BF.

With DS, the light was a stand up thing, that hovered over his bassinet. With DD, 9 years later, it was a suitcase-like contraption that we laid her in, with only a diaper on - like an infant tanning bed. It even came with an eye mask. We thought she looked like a little movie star.

 

[minkydog]

Bilirubin peaks at 5-7 days in a newborn. You should see numbers going down tomorrow, especially if you are doing everything the doctors told you to do. I have seen numbers in the 20's at 5-6days and the babies did fine!

Another peds nurse checking in to agree--what she said. The older the baby is the less problematic a high bili is. A baby who has a bili of 15 in the first 24hrs is much more worrisome than a 6 day old with a bili of 15. Premature infants have immature livers, so a high bili is treated more aggresively.

At this point, keep feeding the baby. Nurse him as often as he'll take it--wake him up every 2hrs if you have to . And keep him naked in front of a sunny window(turn on a small heater to keep him warm.) He should pee & poop out the bilirubin pretty shortly.

 

[nuke]

My son went from a reading of 11 in the hospital to a 28.5 three days later when we took him to the ER. We were rushed to Children's Hospital and he had to have a double blood transfusion to clear it up. He was in the nicu for 4 days. Keep an eye on your baby.
We were warned that he could be deaf or blind but he is just fine.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

We had similar issue. At one point had to take her directly to hospital after a doctors visit. Lasted about 21/2 weeks. We were very nervous as well. Congrats on the addition.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

My DS had it. I hated having his little heel poked so often, and I was scared. But as above posters have stated, everything went fine. We tried a few days of sunlight, but our house didn't have a lot of sun reaching windows. plus it was winter and our house was kind of cold. But after a few days, the DR. put him in a Wallaby. It is a blanket with the light running through it..attached to a cord..perfectly safe. Kept up with breast feeding, and he was fine in about a week. He looked like that baby toy, "Glow Worm" while he was wearing it with his little hat on..

anything "different" about your precious new baby is scary, but this is very common and will pass soon..

Good luck!

 

[mickeyboat]

I wish I had the picture of DD on my computer - she was a premie, had jaundice and had to be kept under the lights in her bassinet in the ICN. We couldn't even hold her for a couple of days, and she had a gauze-type eye mask to protect her eyes from the lights. The picture brings me to tears whenever I see it.

Anyway, she is fine today, as I am sure your little guy will be. Congratulations! What did you name him?

Denae