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Breastfeeding may, in some cases, make neonatal jaundice worse, but it does not always happen.

There is a special type of jaundice called breast milk jaundice, which can be divided into early-onset and late-onset.

Early-onset breast milk jaundice usually occurs within one week after birth, mainly because of insufficient breast milk intake and reduced bowel movements, which leads to increased enterohepatic circulation of bilirubin, thus aggravating jaundice. In this case, increasing the frequency of breastfeeding and ensuring that the baby sucks adequately can often improve the jaundice.

Late-onset breast milk jaundice usually occurs about 2 weeks after birth and may last for 2-3 months. The specific cause is still unclear, but it may be related to certain components in breast milk affecting the metabolism of bilirubin. For most babies with late-onset breast milk jaundice, the bilirubin level will not be particularly high, and generally it will not cause adverse effects on the baby.

However, for most babies who are breastfed normally, breast milk does not aggravate neonatal jaundice. On the contrary, the nutrients and immune substances in breast milk are very beneficial to the baby's health.

For example, some babies may have jaundice that subsides slowly during exclusive breastfeeding, but the bilirubin level is always within a safe range, and the baby's mental state, feeding, and sleep are good. In this case, no special treatment is usually required and breastfeeding can be continued. However, if the bilirubin level is too high, the doctor may recommend suspending breastfeeding for 2-3 days to observe whether the jaundice is relieved, and then resume breastfeeding.