Sucking behaviour and milk intake in jaundiced neonates

Breastfeeding and Neonatal Weight Loss in Healthy Term Infants

“…In our study, we found no significant difference in the proportion of weight loss ≥ 8% between those subjected to phototherapy (33%; 20/61) and not subjected (27%; 252/942; P = .30), even if this finding might be partially a result of the insufficient size of the sample. The hypothesis that jaundiced neonates might lose more weight secondarily to altered sucking behavior has been rejected by Alexander and Roberts, 47 as bilirubin levels showed no correlation with milk consumption. Although a recent report underlines that breastfed newborns have higher rates of significant hyperbilirubinemia, 48 there is sufficient consensus that jaundice does not appear to be associated with breastfeeding per se, but with increased weight loss in dehydrated breastfed newborns.…”

Breastfeeding Infants With Problems

“…6 Reduced caloric intake or starvation has been associated with hyperbilirubinemia in adult humans and in many animals. Elevated bilirubin did not impede sucking ability, as demonstrated in a study by Alexander and Roberts.…”