Conjugation inhibitors and early neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia.

Milk and serum were obtained from 50 mothers on the 6th day post partum and examined for inhibitory activity against bilirubin conjugation in rat liver slices. Neonatal serum bilirubin levels were also analysed at this time. There was no relation between the amount of inhibitory substance in breast milk or serum and the degree of neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia. It was observed that inhibitory activity increased in frozen breast milk but not in frozen autoclaved breast milk.