A newborn is a great joy for every mom and every dad. But, in addition, it is also a big responsibility. After all, after his birth, parents should take care not only of their lives, but also of the life of a little man, which is full of surprises and many phenomena incomprehensible to adults. For example, what to do if a newborn girl has swollen mammary glands. Is this a normal phenomenon or is it still an occasion to visit a doctor? And if this is really an alarm, then what kind of specialist do you need to contact? It’s worth understanding this question.
Some statistics
According to statistics, a similar problem appears in approximately 70-75% of newborns. Only healthy children who were born with normal body weight fall into the risk group. For 9 months, the baby was in the womb and received food only through the umbilical cord. Now he has fallen into a new environment for him and is receiving nutrition in a new way in the form of breastfeeding or artificial feeding. Against the background of these events, the hormonal background in the baby changes and this provokes the onset of the first sexual crisis, one of the symptoms of which are swollen mammary glands.
Possible reasons
As it turned out, the most common reason why the mammary glands swell in newborn girls is a change in the hormonal background. Pediatricians argue that this is an absolutely normal physiological phenomenon that can occur not only in girls, but also in boys. It does not need to be treated, but you should carefully monitor the condition of the baby so that there are no complications and related symptoms.
But hormonal failure is not the only reason why this can happen. Other factors, such as hypothermia or infection penetration into the body, can become provocateurs of breast enlargement in a young girl. In this case, it can be argued that mastitis develops.
When swelling is normal
Each parent should clearly know how to distinguish a normal phenomenon from the primary symptoms of the disease. When a mammary gland swells in a newborn girl, then in certain cases the help of a specialist is not needed. We list them:
- If the child continues to feel good: eat well, sleep peacefully.
- When both breast glands swelled in a newborn girl symmetrically.
- The diameter of the appeared edema does not exceed 3 centimeters.
- The skin continues to be clean, it does not form any redness or swelling.
On the 6-18th day of a girl’s life, the crisis, as a rule, ends, so the mammary glands should return to normal by this time.
In what cases is it necessary to consult a specialist?
If the newborn girl has swollen mammary glands and there are concomitant symptoms, then you need to see a doctor immediately. You should first visit a pediatrician, and after a physical examination, he may refer you to another specialist. Related symptoms include:
- An increase in body temperature. Do not be afraid of temperatures up to 37.5 degrees. In infants, heat transfer in the body has not yet formed, so this temperature is normal for him or appears if the child is too warmly dressed. But an increase in temperature of more than 37.5 degrees should alert parents.
- Redness and swelling. Around the halos of the nipples, a bright pink or reddish tint stands out.
- The mammary glands increased unevenly.
- Of them or from the genitals, discharge of a transparent shade appears.
- Abscesses form.
In addition to the appearance of concomitant symptoms, the behavior of the child can also change. He will begin to cry in his sleep, he will lose his appetite. The girl will cry loudly, if the parent took her in her arms, she will constantly spin, feeling discomfort.
The fact that the mammary glands do not return to normal when the child has already reached the age of 18 days should be alert. It is required to consult a doctor, even in the absence of concomitant symptoms and the well-being of the child.
Statistics and causes of mastitis
Fortunately, childhood mastitis is a rare occurrence. Mastopathy is often referred to this condition due to the similarity of clinical manifestations. But the reasons for their occurrence are different. Mastitis appears only with hypothermia or the penetration of the virus into the body.
Methods of diagnosis and treatment
If the newborn girl has swollen mammary glands and there are concomitant symptoms, then only an experienced specialist can make a diagnosis after a diagnostic examination. Perhaps, due to the sexual crisis, the baby has weakened immunity, and against the background of this, he has a viral disease. Perhaps he is worried about colic, which is why he behaves capriciously. Parents can take this behavior as a concomitant symptom for breast swelling, but, in fact, it has nothing to do with mastitis. The specialist will make the most accurate diagnosis after a diagnostic examination, which includes several stages:
- anamnesis from the words of the parents;
- visual inspection of the child;
- laboratory examination - blood and urine tests;
- Ultrasound of the mammary gland;
- studies of the nature of the discharge, if any.
If, however, it is confirmed that the newborn’s breast is swollen due to mastitis, then the baby will be prescribed a course of therapeutic therapy, which includes antiviral drugs and special compresses.
Depending on the condition of the patient, antipyretic and painkillers can be additionally prescribed. If mastitis is confirmed as a result of a diagnostic study, then the child, along with his mother, will be sent for treatment in a hospital. At home, such a disease is not treated.
Basically, medical specialists adhere to conservative methods of treatment, in rare cases there is a need for surgical intervention.
But most often it turns out that it is precisely because of the hormonal crisis in the newborn that the mammary glands swell. What to do in this case? No medical measures are required, it is enough to provide the baby with care and proper care.
Care
With swollen mammary glands in newborns, it is required:
- To ensure the baby a calm atmosphere, he should be as comfortable as possible in the house.
- Choose spacious clothes for the baby that will not fit to the chest. If mom uses diapers instead of clothes, then it is worth giving preference to free swaddling.
- Changing clothes is required several times a day.
- It is imperative to bathe the baby daily.
Absolutely forbidden:
- try to squeeze out fluid from the mammary glands;
- touching the chest with unwashed hands;
- self-medicate using ointments and compresses;
- laying the baby on the stomach.
It is also mandatory to monitor the well-being of the baby and periodically measure body temperature.
Preventative measures
So, much has already been said above about why the newborn's mammary glands swelled. Of course, this is an unpleasant phenomenon that will cause great discomfort for the little girl. Therefore, many mothers are concerned about the question of whether it can somehow be prevented. Unfortunately, if the physiological factor is the reason for its appearance, then nature cannot be deceived. One just has to be patient and wait for this phenomenon to disappear on its own.
But to prevent the occurrence of such an unpleasant phenomenon as mastitis is quite possible. To do this, you only need to always dress the child in accordance with weather conditions and limit his contact with infected people.
It is also required to observe elementary measures for caring for a newborn girl, namely:
- wash your hands before each touch;
- regularly bathe the girl;
- wash the genitals after each bowel movement;
- change clothes daily.
Compliance with preventive measures will give the child good health, and parents a healthy sleep and a smile from their own little man.
Opinion of Dr. Komarovsky
Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky is the most famous pediatrician in Ukraine and Russia. He has created several programs broadcast on television and radio, in which he gives advice to young mothers on raising children and talks about the most common childhood diseases. In one of his programs, he told his parents about what to do if the breasts of the newborn were swollen.
A famous doctor claims that such a phenomenon very often occurs due to hormonal changes in the body and requires absolutely no treatment. The only help that a young mother can give a crumb is to save him from tight swaddling.
Komarovsky also noted that the physiological process from mastitis can be distinguished by only two main signs: an increase in body temperature (more than 38 degrees) and the formation of purulent discharge.
Conclusion
Swollen breasts in a newborn girl? This is not a cause for concern! This phenomenon is absolutely normal and most babies encounter it. But it is necessary to show maximum vigilance and carefully monitor the condition of the baby in order not to lose sight of the beginning mastitis.