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Can A Patient With Jaundice Consume Milk?
Question: Should milk and it's products be avoided for patients suffering with jaundice? My 7 year old niece is under going jaundice treatment and I heard milk is not to be given as it contains fat and not good for ailing liver...
Brief Answer:
No. Fats are a good source of calories.
Detailed Answer:
Hi there,
This is actually a confusing topic in medicine, but the answer is no - milk is not associated with worsening jaundice unless it is in a newborn.
Occasionally, a women's breast milk can contain substance that is difficult for the liver to digest. Therefore, in a newborn with an immature liver (meaning they do not have the necessary enzymes), breast milk can be difficult to digest (but it's usually because of an abnormality with the mother milk and not with the newborn). However, the liver matures and adapts quickly and these enzymes easily catch up and can tolerate the load of breast milk.
The only dietary restriction with liver failure is protein because they cannot tolerate the load of ammonia from protein breakdown. Fats are actually recommend a good source Of calories.
Let me know if you have additional question.
No. Fats are a good source of calories.
Detailed Answer:
Hi there,
This is actually a confusing topic in medicine, but the answer is no - milk is not associated with worsening jaundice unless it is in a newborn.
Occasionally, a women's breast milk can contain substance that is difficult for the liver to digest. Therefore, in a newborn with an immature liver (meaning they do not have the necessary enzymes), breast milk can be difficult to digest (but it's usually because of an abnormality with the mother milk and not with the newborn). However, the liver matures and adapts quickly and these enzymes easily catch up and can tolerate the load of breast milk.
The only dietary restriction with liver failure is protein because they cannot tolerate the load of ammonia from protein breakdown. Fats are actually recommend a good source Of calories.
Let me know if you have additional question.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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