Quantum Newborn Jaundice Course

Do better for babies with jaundice by accounting for redox, utilizing sunshine and grounding, and educating families during pregnancy

Phototherapy treatment for newborn jaundice is the number one reason babies are separated from mothers after birth.

Not only does this interrupt bonding, sunlight is scientifically proven to be equally effective, with fewer risks (the research to prove this is inside the course).

Additionally, the redox status—as in, the baby’s level of oxidative stress—is coming to light as a key factor in physiological—as in naturally occurring and beneficial—newborn jaundice.

Are you ready to shift your understanding of newborn jaundice? You are in the right place!

Introducing the Quantum Newborn Jaundice Course by Nikko Kennedy, CLD, BS

This course to will raise your awareness of new approaches being explored in newborn jaundice prevention and treatment that could better support the family bonding time as well as potentially improve outcomes for newborns with jaundice across their entire lifespans.

Also, this is totally amazing news I wanted to share: eight days before the launch of this course, scientists from Italy published a review that validates everything I wrote about how we have been drastically overlooking redox (the balance of pro-oxidant and anti-oxidant forces) when it comes to newborn jaundice. I was blown away to find this paper coming out so closely to the timing of this course.

Check out the abstract¹:

Oxidative stress is a pathological condition characterized by an overload of oxidant products, named free radicals, which are not well counteracted by antioxidant systems. Free radicals induce oxidative damage to many body organs and systems. In neonatal red blood cells, free‐radical mediated‐oxidative stress leads to eryptosis, a suicidal death process of erythrocytes consequent to alteration of cell integrity. Neonatal red blood cells are targets and at the same time generators of free radicals through the Fenton and Haber‐Weiss reactions. Enhanced eryptosis in case of oxidative stress damage may cause anemia if the increased loss of erythrocytes is not enough compensated by enhanced new erythrocytes synthesis. The oxidative disruption of the red cells may cause unconjugated idiopathic hyperbilirubinemia in neonates. High levels of bilirubin are recognized to be dangerous for the central nervous system in newborns, however, many studies have highlighted the antioxidant function of bilirubin. Recently, it has been suggested that physiologic concentration of bilirubin correlates with higher antioxidant status while high pathological bilirubin levels are associated with pro‐oxidants effects. The aim of this educational review is to provide an updated understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying erythrocyte oxidant injury and its reversal in neonatal idiopathic hyperbilirubinemia.

Perrone, S., Lembo, C., Giordano, M., et al. (2023)

However, even these researchers who are so spot on with regard to redox and newborn jaundice seem to be missing the pieces from the fields of circadian and quantum biology that fill in the gaps related to the improvements we could actualize in care. I have included research from many angles of inquiry in this course and hope it inspires deeper thinking from all who take it.

The course links are below in this post. Before we get started, I wanted to thank all my reviewers who have helped refine the way this information is presented. One reviewer asked a great question: do I have any evidence to back up my claim that fewer babies with pathological jaundice would “slip through the cracks” of care if we were able to successfully reduce the number of babies presenting with physiological jaundice? After all, this is a pretty powerful statement! To that end, here is a case study from a doctor from a pediatric quality care review stating that they had come to this exact conclusion:

Due to the readmission and the family's frustration with the inconsistent care provided since the first discharge, the case was reviewed by the pediatric quality committee. While many communication concerns were identified, the key issue was the management of an uncommon disease using markers that are frequently trended for common conditions.

So here we have it from a doctor’s mouth that the commonality of physiological jaundice obscures cases of disease-driven jaundice, to the frustration of families. In this case, the newborn had late anemia following Rh disease. The doctor also reminds us:

It is worth appreciating that phototherapy thresholds provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) are based on expert opinion rather than good data that the treatment thresholds represent bilirubin levels at which the benefits of treatment exceed risks and costs. In fact, the AAP guidelines are internally inconsistent…

So with my excitement of finding the 2023 paper out of Italy and with even more confirmation that current jaundice protocols in the US are proving inadequate for families, I am all the more confident the value of this course. I believe the following modules to be the most in-depth, yet low-jargon, resource about the cutting edge of newborn jaundice care available anywhere.

Below, please enjoy a directory of all course modules. Drop a thread in the subscriber chat to post any questions that arise as you move through the material.

Introduction:

Modules:

First module: Jaundice (aka high bilirubin in babies) overview

Second module: Newborn constipation relief is the first line of support for newborn jaundice

Third module: Reducing excessive blood cell turnover by nurturing strong maternal circadian rhythms

Fourth module: Looking closer at preterm birth as a contributing factor to newborn jaundice

Fifth module: Unconjugated vs conjugated bilirubin, and the signifigance of antioxidant power of the bilverdin-bilirubin cycle

Sixth module: The newborn blood-brain barrier and nature's natural protections

Protocols:

Support protocol 1: Preconception & pregnancy

Support protocol 2: For babies at home

Support protocol 3: For babies in the hospital

Conclusion:

Request for feedback:

Please email me with any feedback about this course! This was my first ever email course, so I thank you for being on this iteration with me.

So far, the biggest request I have had about improving this course is to include more research about disease-driven jaundice. So, towards the New Year I will be adding a new module about disease-driven jaundice for you! Stay tuned :)

Request for testimonials:

Did you enjoy or learn anything from this course? I’d love to hear about it. I think this information could be so useful to families as well as practitioners who support families through the neonatal period. Your words could help this information reach more people! Please email me at nikko@brighterdaysdarkernights.com.

Subscriber Chat:

Here’s our subscriber chat where you can post questions and/or share your story with us, if you feel inclined.

1. Perrone, S., Lembo, C., Giordano, M., Petrolini, C., Cannavò, L., & Gitto, E. (2023). Molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress-related neonatal jaundice. Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology, 37(6), e23349. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.23349