With nearly half of full-term babies developing jaundice at birth, it’s a common and typically non-threatening condition. Jaundice occurs when your baby’s liver does not know how to function yet properly, allowing your newborn’s bilirubin levels to elevate as their livers do not fully flush out their systems right away. Babies have a turnover of more red blood cell counts than adult cells do, and bilirubin can also be plentiful in the intestines before your baby has their first bowel movement. While this condition is not typically life-threatening, there are many treatment methods you can use naturally to treat your newborn’s jaundice and keep it from recurring.
Babies who are breastfed are more likely to get jaundice after birth than babies who are bottle-fed, according to the Mayo Clinic. While breastfeeding is the preferred method of feeding your baby for the bonding and massive amounts of nutrients your baby can absorb naturally, a mother not producing enough breast milk or a baby not receiving enough to eat while nursing may acquire jaundice. Mothers need to be sure they are rotating their feeding from one breast to another to promote breast milk to accumulate, and not pull the baby away when they are not finished eating. Monopolizing one breast can cause the body to not produce enough milk, so making sure baby has “finished” one breast before moving to the other is a good way to manage their eating. Taking herbs for milk production can help mommy feed her baby as well.
Jaundice in and of itself is not dangerous, but bilirubin levels over 25 can cause major health issues, like deafness, cerebral palsy, can lead to other brain damages and infections as well. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all babies be checked for jaundice at birth for prevention of damages high levels of bilirubin can cause.
If breastfeeding, mommy can take herbal supplements that are natural detoxifiers in the body to help the baby flush out the higher levels of bilirubin and keep their jaundice from rising. Dandelion tea, catnip, comfrey leaf, or agrimony are great detoxifiers that baby will receive while nursing to help them break down the excess bilirubin in their bodies and help their livers “flush out” the jaundice, so to speak. Do not stop breastfeeding, rather, understand that with mild treatment your baby will naturally flush out the jaundice on their own as they grow, with a little help.
Exposing your baby to natural light (or a “Bili light”) helps your baby break down their biliburin levels and get them back to normal. If choosing to expose your baby to natural light, beware of direct sunlight and sunburn. A bili light from the hospital is better, but you can place your baby’s crib in a window where the sunlight comes through, and with your monitoring, can help manage your baby’s jaundice. Do this twice a day for 10 minutes, watching the whole time. 5 minutes on the stomach, 5 minutes on the back in the morning light, and repeat in the evening. These are the times when light is the least harsh so as not to harm your baby.
Giving your baby wheat grass juice (20 drops a day in their formula, or drink it yourself and they will get it in your milk) increases your baby’s enzymatic activity in their liver and boosts their ability to flush out the bilirubin excess in their bodies. Drink 2 ounces of wheat grass juice daily for breastfeeding, or once again apply up to 20 drops a day to your infant’s formula to battle and prevent jaundice until their jaundice fades.
Jaundice,when treated, typically fades within a few days to a week or so. Some babies need hospitalization or bili lights or blankets to manage their jaundice and break down their bilirubin levels, and others develop jaundice later through breastfeeding, where mommy can drink detoxifying herbs to make the jaundice fade.
While jaundice is not life-threatening in and of itself and is a very common condition for new babies at birth or developed within a few days or weeks, it is not to be taken lightly. Even if you know what you are doing, always consult a doctor about your baby’s jaundice to find the most manageable treatment for your baby. Always consult your doctor if you are planning homeopathic or natural treatment for your infant’s ailments to make sure they are right for you and your baby. While natural treatments for your baby should not harm your baby, always have your baby checked by your doctor to make sure their biliburin levels are manageable, not getting worse, or are not too high. NOTHING is more important than the health of your baby, and this article certainly does not suggest that you should not take your newborn to a doctor. Rather, this article provides tips to jaundice prevention you can take naturally, and home treatments for manageable jaundice after the doctor gives the OK to go home. Speak to your doctor about all your concerns and for treatment options for you for the best health of your baby.
