Everything You Need To Know About Newborn Lip Blisters And How To Treat It?
Blisters on the lips of newborns are common and usually go away on their own. They are characterized by small fluid-crammed blisters in your child`s lips and won’t be substantial whilst the lips are closed. Blisters in babies are nothing to worry about, but they can be a subtle sign that something is wrong with them. Determining the underlying cause of your child’s lip blister can help doctors treat it and prevent it from recurring.
Read on to learn more about the causes, symptoms, and effective treatment of lip blisters in children, including natural remedies.
What does a blister in newborn life look like?
A child’s lip blister generally seems like a small blister that looks on a cupid`s bow or a big stripe that stretches throughout the lip. According to nutrition and breastfeeding expert Dr. Pooja Margate, “These blisters are easy to spot and may appear as if your baby has a swollen upper lip or slight peeling of the skin on the lips. Either way, your kid won’t be disturbed.”
Blisters on your child’s lips are usually filled with a clear fluid, but in rare cases, they may be filled with pus and require immediate medical attention.
Causes of blisters on the lips in newborns?
Blisters on your baby’s lips can be caused by suckling or cold sores while breastfeeding.
During Breastfeeding The Create Friction
A newborn’s lips are smooth and soft. During breastfeeding, when your baby starts sucking vigorously, it can strain the lip muscles. This can cause friction and cause blisters. This condition is also called friction blisters, sucking blisters, or sucking calluses.
These lip blisters are nothing to worry about as they can go away within a day or two. However, if blisters on your baby’s lips don’t go away for more than two weeks, it could be a sign of a problem with the blisters. This may be due to blisters on the lips or tongue, a condition that prevents your child from lifting their tongue and restricts lip movement, making the blisters last longer when sucking. Lip blisters are also common in premature babies because they need more time to learn to bite properly.
Herpes?
Herpes is usually caused by the herpes simplex virus and can cause lip blisters. Unlike friction blisters, cold sores can be painful and filled with pus. This disease mainly affects adults, but babies under 8 weeks of age are also at risk because of their low immunity.
Occasionally, an adult who has the virus can infect a child by touching, kissing, or holding a child’s lips and giving them a pacifier.
How to treat a blister on your child’s lip?
Treatment for lip blisters in your child will depend on the exact cause. Frictional or sucking blisters usually resolve on their own and do not require additional treatment. You need to make sure your baby is biting properly to avoid blisters on the lips. Try these tips to install a good latch.
Encourage your baby to open his mouth wide by tickling his lips with your nipple while latching. This may take a few tries, but be patient as Munchkin is still learning.
As the baby opens its mouth wide and lowers its chin, push the breast into the baby’s mouth with the nipple pointing toward the baby’s nose. Place the bottom of the areola into your baby’s mouth to ensure a secure grip.
The deep clasp allows your baby’s tongue to do all the suckling work, preventing more blisters on the lips. If your baby is formula-fed, you can solve this problem by:
Review your feeding position and make sure your baby is taking the nipple from the bottle completely into his mouth and not forcing it with his lips.
Try tempo feeding (slow feeds that mimic breastfeeding) to give your baby a comfortable drinking rate.
Make sure the bottle nipple is the right size for your baby’s age and development.
Tips to expedite the treatment of lip blisters?
- Breast milk: Breast milk contains many components, including essential vitamins and fats, for healing and nutrition. For example, it contains palmitic acid, a super moisturizer, and immunoglobulin A, a blood protein that helps fight infections. Put a few drops of breast milk on your baby’s lips to keep them hydrated and treat blisters on their lips.
- Natural oils: Rub a few drops of vegetable oil, such as coconut oil, on your child’s lips to treat lip blisters. Coconut oil is rich in antioxidants that help keep your munchkin’s lips moist and help heal infections and blisters.
- Shea Butter: This nutritional ingredient has antioxidant and antibacterial properties that help fight infections and promote wound healing. To moisturize your munchkin’s lips and prevent lip blisters you can use shea butter lip balm.
Conclusion
The two main causes of blisters on the lips of newborns are herpes or friction from sucking while breastfeeding. Blisters on the lips are common and not a cause for concern, but if symptoms persist and are accompanied by a fever, check with your child’s pediatrician as it could be a sign of infection. You can also try the tips discussed above to prevent your baby from getting blisters on its lips in the future.
