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Breast milk beta-glucuronidase and exaggerated jaundice in the early neonatal period
D C Wilson1, M Afrasiabi, M M Reid
1Royal Maternity Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Insights
Breast milk beta-glucuronidase does not explain early neonatal jaundice. Studies found no link between this enzyme in breast milk and infant bilirubin levels in the first week of life.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Breast-feeding is common and associated with neonatal jaundice.
- Previous research linked breast milk beta-glucuronidase to later infant bilirubin levels (day 21).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between breast milk beta-glucuronidase and early neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia (first week).
Main Methods:
- Studied 55 mother and baby pairs.
- Measured breast milk beta-glucuronidase levels.
- Assessed infant serum bilirubin levels between postnatal days 3 and 6.
Main Results:
- No correlation was found between breast milk beta-glucuronidase levels and infant serum bilirubin levels during the first week of life.
Conclusions:
- Breast milk beta-glucuronidase does not directly cause or explain early neonatal jaundice in breast-fed infants.
Abstract:
Breast-feeding is associated with jaundice in the early neonatal period. Previous work has shown levels of the enzyme beta-glucuronidase in maternal breast milk to be related to infant serum bilirubin on postnatal day 21. Our aim was to establish if there was a correlation between the level of breast milk beta-glucuronidase and the degree of early (first week) neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia. A study of 55 mother and baby pairs showed that breast milk beta-glucuronidase levels had no relationship with the level of infant serum bilirubin between postnatal days 3 and 6. Breast milk beta-glucuronidase does not directly account for the early neonatal jaundice seen in breast-fed babies.