question about jaundice

DS will be 4 weeks old this saturday. When he was 4 days old his bilirubin
level was 16, and down to a 15.2 the next day so his ped said that there
wasn't anything to worry about cause it was obviously going down and it
should be completely cleared up by 2 weeks.
Here we are at almost 4 weeks and though he looks A LOT better.. he is
still looking rather yellow :-( I have been trying to get him as much sun
as I can though this has been a rather rainy nasty wihter here in the
islands so that isn't much help .. We don't go back to the Dr till the 9th.
Should I be worried that he is still looking jauniced? Or does it just take
some babies longer than others? Is there anything else that I can do to help
the poor little guy get passed this already? I read somewhere that BF babies
are more prone to it and that givign them formula helps ...something I
really would rather NOT do ... but at this point I'm about ready to do
anything to clear this up... HELP!!

ANY and all help would be really appreciated.


Thanks in advance..

Kylee and a very yellow little Brendan

Hi -

If you thought he was still yellow at the end of week two, I'd have
taken him back to the doctor promptly for a check. The longer the
jaundice lasts, the less likely it is to be simple newborn jaundice.
It's always okay to call the ped. if you're worried. Call first thing
tomorrow morning; his answering service should give him the call, and
he'll tell you how to proceed.

So call your ped. Redo the blood test if you think it necessary -- and
it could well be necessary! There's no need to wait until the 9th.

My two cents,
--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.

"kylee" wrote in message
...
DS will be 4 weeks old this saturday. When he was 4 days old his bilirubin
level was 16, and down to a 15.2 the next day so his ped said that there
wasn't anything to worry about cause it was obviously going down and it
should be completely cleared up by 2 weeks.
Here we are at almost 4 weeks and though he looks A LOT better.. he is
still looking rather yellow :-( I have been trying to get him as much sun
as I can though this has been a rather rainy nasty wihter here in the
islands so that isn't much help .. We don't go back to the Dr till the
9th.
Should I be worried that he is still looking jauniced? Or does it just
take
some babies longer than others? Is there anything else that I can do to
help
the poor little guy get passed this already? I read somewhere that BF
babies
are more prone to it and that givign them formula helps ...something I
really would rather NOT do ... but at this point I'm about ready to do
anything to clear this up... HELP!!

ANY and all help would be really appreciated.


Thanks in advance..

Kylee and a very yellow little Brendan

I would definitely call your doctor ASAP to get him in for at least a blood
test. My little guy had jaundice from blood-group incompatibility. I
believe the highest his level reached was 19 and he was readmitted for two
days to go under the bili lights. Jaundice can cause brain damage, but only
at extremely high levels (which I doubt your little one has).

If he still has a mild case, they may be able to provide a bili blanket,
which would allow you to treat it at home. Other than bili lights, they had
me push fluids, which in my case ended up being formula because my milk came
in late. Maybe add a few nursing sessions until you figure out what's going
on?

- Joanne
DS Ian 11/6/03

Today is Friday. I would call the office and see if you can get a repeat
blood test. Personally, I wouldn't fool around with jaundice. (I am a little
more paranoid than the average person, because we had jaundice at birth,
that didn't go away and it resulted in a liver transplant because there was
something wrong with her liver). I think the doctor needs to be a little bit
more careful and at least check billirubin levels a little bit more
frequently to make sure that it isn't something else.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)
I'm Just a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World...

kylee wrote in message
...
DS will be 4 weeks old this saturday. When he was 4 days old his bilirubin
level was 16, and down to a 15.2 the next day so his ped said that there
wasn't anything to worry about cause it was obviously going down and it
should be completely cleared up by 2 weeks.
Here we are at almost 4 weeks and though he looks A LOT better.. he is
still looking rather yellow :-( I have been trying to get him as much sun
as I can though this has been a rather rainy nasty wihter here in the
islands so that isn't much help .. We don't go back to the Dr till the
9th.
Should I be worried that he is still looking jauniced? Or does it just
take
some babies longer than others? Is there anything else that I can do to
help
the poor little guy get passed this already? I read somewhere that BF
babies
are more prone to it and that givign them formula helps ...something I
really would rather NOT do ... but at this point I'm about ready to do
anything to clear this up... HELP!!

ANY and all help would be really appreciated.


Thanks in advance..

Kylee and a very yellow little Brendan