Babies have dry lips, how to stop them?

The changing weather will cause the temperature and humidity to change, making the skin, especially the skin of babies, affected a lot. On the other hand, the moisture on an infant's skin comes from milk, so baby lips will be drier than adults and can be easily affected by surrounding factors. This explains why babies have dry lips.

Usually, an infant's lips appear drier and redder than an older child but this doesn't cause any pain or discomfort. However, you still should not underestimate the phenomenon of babies with dry lips because it sometimes warns the risk of dehydration . In the following article, aFamilyToday Health will introduce the causes of dry lips as well as how to regain pink and moist lips for your baby.

Cause dry lips

While dry lips are rarely a concern, if your baby has a chronic dry lip or is very young, you should still look for potential conditions. An infant's lips are dry for many reasons, including:

Skin

Babies often shed some skin after birth so that the skin gradually adjusts to the world outside of the mother's womb. This is a normal process and can cause peeling and even dry lips.

Suck / lick your lips

Infants have quite intense sucking instincts, so they can continue to suck or lick their lips even when not feeding. This makes the lips dry as the saliva evaporates on the lips, which in turn causes the area to lose more water than before.

Sensitive skin

The reason that babies suffer from dry lips is also because they have sensitive skin. This makes the skin more likely to react to irritants. Some babies are very sensitive to cosmetics, so kissing your baby while you are wearing lipstick can cause a rash and dry or cracked lips. In addition, cloths, wet towels, and lotions are likely to cause similar irritation.

Lack of nutrition

In rare cases, an infant's lips are restored, which is a sign of a lack of certain nutrients. If in doubt, you can take your baby to the doctor for a checkup.

Side effects of medications

Chapped lips are also caused by a side effect of some medications. So, if your baby is sick, you can discuss the conditions your baby is more likely to experience with medication. This helps the doctor guide the proper adjustment.

Kawasaki disease

Babies with dry lips that last for weeks or longer without improving may be a sign of another health problem, such as Kawasaki disease , a rare condition that occurs in children and is related. to inflammation of the blood vessels. The disease occurs in boys more than girls and the age is usually under 5. Babies with dry, chapped lips are among the signs of Kawasaki along with symptoms such as:

Swollen hands and feet

Red palms, feet

Swollen lymph nodes in the neck

Fever lasts for 5 days or more

The rash and groin area seem more severe

Bloody red eyes, no tearing or scaly eyes.

If you suspect that your baby may have Kawasaki disease, you should seek medical attention immediately. Most of the symptoms of the disease are temporary and most children recover completely, but the heart and blood vessels can be affected, so parents should not take the disease lightly.

Lack of water

Infants can become dehydrated if they don't drink enough breastmilk or formula. On hot days, babies will need to drink more milk to avoid dehydration. Infants often urinate after each feed, when waking up, after bathing ... and poop about 4 times / day or more in the first few weeks after birth. This number usually decreases after 6 weeks.

Other signs of dehydration in a newborn include:

Dry, chapped skin

The tip of the head is concave

Both lips and tongue are dry

Deep, urgent breathing

Hands and feet are slightly cold

Crying but no tears

If you notice any of the symptoms listed above, take your child to the doctor.

How to treat dry lips in babies

There are many effective ways to help your baby get rid of dry lips, such as:

Coconut oil

The main ingredient of the oil is lauric acid, which has the ability to soften dry lips without affecting babies. You just need to dab a little coconut oil on the baby's lips, gently apply and repeat several times a day.

Mother milk

Breast milk is rich in useful antibodies. In the first days after birth, breast milk also contains colostrum, which protects the newborn from bacteria and viruses. Apply a few drops of breast milk to your baby's lips. This not only calms and moisturizes, but also helps reduce the risk of your baby getting an infection.

Lip balm

Nowadays, there are special lip balms designed specifically for babies with natural ingredients. Therefore, you can learn about this product to use for your baby.

Vaseline

Made from lanolin, vaselin has powerful moisturizing properties for the lips, thereby helping to heal cracks faster. In addition, this ingredient is very benign and relatively safe, even when licked or swallowed by the baby. Try using vaseline at night while your baby sleeps so the product will last longer and lips have the time needed for the healing process.

Keep warm

Extremely cold temperatures can quickly dry a baby's sensitive lips. Therefore, you should keep your baby warm if the bedroom uses air conditioning.

Humidifier

Keeping the air in moderation can help prevent dry lips in babies. A humidifier will aid in increasing the humidity in the living area, please consider buying and using this product.

Breastfeed regularly

Babies can become dehydrated quickly if they are not fed regularly. On the other hand, each baby will have different nutritional needs. During the first few weeks to the first few months of life, a breastfed infant will usually be fed 1 - 3 hours or about 8 - 12 times for 24 hours.