Jaundice is a fairly common condition in newborn babies. You may know it as the condition that causes babies to turn yellow. It’s caused by a yellow pigment (bilirubin) accumulating in the body, which turns the skin and the whites of the eyes a yellow colour. More on that in a minute.
Jaundice can have serious consequences if you don’t treat it, but fortunately it is very easy to treat. The one challenge, though, is breastfeeding – because there is a lot of misunderstanding and outdated information in the medical professions, mothers are often told to stop breastfeeding or to supplement with water or formula while their babies have jaundice. As I will explain in this post, that is simply not necessary.
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