Question: Jaundice in newborns + oral thrush / breastfeeding

[scent of cedar]

Does anyone know how long jaundice in newborns typically lasts? Is there anything that can be done to help the baby, other than sunlight?

Thanks!

Question #2: Does anyone know a home remedy for oral thrush in a breastfeeding newborn?

How should the mother care for herself until she can be seen by a professional to prevent re-infection (if it is thrush) when she is breastfeeding?

Thanks!

Barbara

:Warrior:

 

[tiredmommy]

Barbara-
Duckie's (mild) jaundice had completely cleared up by her two week check up. Nothing done but monitoring. We didn't have an issue with thrush, so I can't recall the treatment. You may try calling the nursery at the hospital that grandson was born at, or try:
www.LaLeche.org
-TM

 

[transformtriumph]

There are herbal and homeopathic remedies but for an infant and breast-feeding mother, an alternative medical professional should be consulted.

 

[scent of cedar]

Thanks!

Barbara

 

[davis family]

hello, you had me thinking , there is this purple stuff at the pharmacy (i forgot the name ) ask, them , anyway you can use it on the babys tongue and on your breasts, you use a cotton swab and you dont need much, its not harmful and the babies dont seem to mind either,
all my kids had high yeast they got from me, lord help you its painful enough without that pain added but this purple stuff eases your pain and baby!

 

[Jisp]

I hope the thrush has cleared up. If you find that you have shooting pains in your breast that might indeed be yeast rearing it's lovely head and not, as it is often misdiagnosed, mastitis.

Jaundice is fairly common in healthy newborns. And unlike when my daughter was born 17 years ago it is no longer a cause of panic among doctors. The key is frequent breastfeeding in order to push fluid which helps flush out the merconium and any excess iron that has built up. I would make sure to nurse every two hours.

Call your local LLLI leader about the THRUSH. It can be a huge problem among breastfeeding mothers and it can lead to other issues as well. Also remember to wash all bras and shirts that have come in contact with your milk in hot water....as the you can recontaminate yourself if it is on your clothes or your babies clothes.

 

[barbe7198]

Just wanted to add that my daughter had jaundice after she was born. She was put on a bili-light at home. I was told by my current general practitioner that she never should have been put on the light as it is very common for breastfed babies to be jaundiced and that it is usually not harmful unless it reaches a bilirubin level of over 15 (my daughter never came close to that.). Anyway I hope this helps.

Barbara

 

[transformtriumph]

One thing I've learned since moving to a homeopathic physician is that doing nothing is often the best thing. Of course you may need professional guidance (such as the bilirubin level) but the body can heal itself. It is better for the body if it can heal itself, rather than ingesting foreign things. Sometimes you need outside help but sometimes you just need patience.

 

[Jisp]

BUT DO NOT IGNORE THRUSH. As an ex-LLLI leader I can tell you that Thrush is a major cause of nursing strikes, painful cracked nipples, cholic and other common problems among newborns. It is unfortunately often brought home from contamination at the hospital where Thrush can be epidemic in the OBGYN units. It can be even be resistant to some anti-fungals and if allowed to persist can be difficult to get rid of.

Doctors often mistake severe thrush infections for mastitis, only to put new mothers on antibiotics, which makes the thrush worse. So it needs to be addressed. My suggestion is to call your local LLLI leader and get treatment for thrush before it becomes a chronic problem.

 

[transformtriumph]

I wouldn't ignore any medical condition. I would get professional guidance, as to the best course to take.

 

[gottaloveem]

my easy child had thrush when he was 2 1/2 months old. We were on vacation, so the clinic I went to gave us antibiotic cream. That did nothing, when we got home, I went to our pediatrician. He gave us gentian violet (the purple stuff the davis family post referred to) It is purple ink. I don't know if it is considered a homeopathic approach, however, it cleared up the thrush in just a matter of days.

 

[transformtriumph]

Gentian violet is an OTC anti-fungal. It isn't homeopathic or herbal.
"Gentian violet is a water soluble dye (coloring substance) used primarily in medicine to stain bacteria, but also in other histological procedures. It is not derived from gentians, but got its name since it is pink-violet like some gentians in the genera of Centaurium, Gentiana, and Gentianella. Gentian violet is derived from coal tar. Another common name for gentian violet is crystal violet, and it is also called Andergon, Aniline Violet, Axuris, Badil, Basic Violet 3, Brilliant Violet 5B, C.I. 42555, Gentiaverm, Hexamethyl-p-Rosaniline Chloride, Hexamethylpararosaniline Chloride, Meroxylan, Meroxyl, Methylrosaniline Chloride, Methyl Violet 10BNS, Methylvioletti, Mythyrosailine Chloride, Pyoctaninum Caeruleum, Pyoktanin, Vianin, Viocid, and Viola Crystallina."

 

[scent of cedar]

Checking in on this site and posting this morning, and wanted to thank each of you for your replies. Baby is two months old now. We just saw him ~ he looks great! Daughter reports he is still a little jaundiced some days, but he is growing well and doing all the normal things on schedule. Daughter was given some medicine in a tube, and thrush has cleared.

So, all is well.

I did tell daughter what your repsonses were, and that moms who had experienced this had found, looking back, that everything had resolved successfully without further action. Shared the formula, the frequent nursing, the sunshine information with daughter.

More than anything? It was hearing that other moms had been in the same position, and that what she was doing was the correct response, that helped daughter feel a little more secure in coping with this.

Thanks, guys!

Barbara