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If your baby is having trouble breast-feeding, is losing weight, or is dehydrated, your doctor may suggest giving your baby formula or expressed milk to supplement breast-feeding. Formula-fed infants usually should have 1 to 2 ounces (about 30 to 60 milliliters) of formula every two to three hours for the first week. Breast-fed infants should have eight to 12 feedings a day for the first several days of life. Feeding more frequently will provide your baby with more milk and cause more bowel movements, increasing the amount of bilirubin eliminated in your baby's stool. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about how much or how often your baby is feeding or if you're having trouble breast-feeding. When infant jaundice isn't severe, your doctor may recommend changes in feeding habits that can lower levels of bilirubin. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic Lifestyle and home remedies This involves repeatedly withdrawing small amounts of blood and replacing it with donor blood, thereby diluting the bilirubin and maternal antibodies - a procedure that's performed in a newborn intensive care unit. Rarely, when severe jaundice doesn't respond to other treatments, a baby may need an exchange transfusion of blood. Intravenous transfusion of an immunoglobulin - a blood protein that can reduce levels of antibodies - may decrease jaundice and lessen the need for an exchange transfusion, although results are not conclusive. This condition results in the baby carrying antibodies from the mother that contribute to the rapid breakdown of the baby's red blood cells. Jaundice may be related to blood type differences between mother and baby. Light therapy may be supplemented with the use of a light-emitting pad or mattress. During treatment, your baby will wear only a diaper and protective eye patches. The light changes the shape and structure of bilirubin molecules in such a way that they can be excreted in both the urine and stool. Your baby may be placed under a special lamp that emits light in the blue-green spectrum. To prevent weight loss, your doctor may recommend more-frequent feeding or supplementation to ensure that your baby receives adequate nutrition. Treatments to lower the level of bilirubin in your baby's blood may include: For moderate or severe jaundice, your baby may need to stay longer in the newborn nursery or be readmitted to the hospital. Mild infant jaundice often disappears on its own within two or three weeks.