One of the most annoying things to ever have is dry and chapped lips. Not only adults, but children, especially newborn babies, are prone to chapped lips too. If you are a first-time mom and are worried about your newborn dry lips, this article is just for you!
Read further below to know the causes, treatments, and preventive measures for chapped lips in babies.
Why Are Your Newborn’s Lips Chapped?
First, there is nothing to worry about if your baby’s lips are chapped. It is a common persistent problem and is curable! However, you may be wondering what causes this problem in the first place? Here are some causes for newborn chapped lips:
- Inside the womb, the baby’s skin is covered by a protective layer. When they come outside, their skin starts shedding to adjust to the new environment. The shedding can sometimes cause lips to get dry.
- Newborn babies are prone to getting dehydrated and chapped lips are one of the symptoms of that.
- Babies are habitual of sucking their lips which can cause dry lips.
- It is very rare, but sometimes certain nutritional deficiencies can also cause newborn dry lips.
- The skin of some babies is extremely sensitive.
- Babies can get dry lips as a side effect due to some medications.
- Babies have thin skin and sudden change in weather conditions can cause parched lips.
How to Know if Your Newborn is Suffering from Dehydration:
Infants are prone to get dehydrated because of their small stomach size. Here are some signs and symptoms that can tell if your baby is dehydrated:
- No urination for more than eight hours.
- Rapid heartbeats.
- The skin has wrinkles and appears tired.
- A mild depression on the baby’s head.
- Extremely dry lips and skin.
- Absence of tears in crying.
- Cold hands and feet.
What if Your Newborn has Chronic Chapped Lips?
Chronic chapped lips are a condition when a person has chapped lips all the time. These chapped lips can be a symptom of an underlying serious health condition. So what to do if your baby has chronic chapped lips?
If you want to try some home remedies for baby chapped lips, the best one will be to apply breast milk. Apply it after every two hours, the breast milk is full of fats and nutrients that a baby needs. It can do quick wonders in conditions like such.
However, if the condition persists, the best thing to do is get it checked by a doctor. Sometimes chronic chapped lips in newborns can occur due to vitamin deficiencies. A doctor will suggest you medicines accordingly if such a case arises.
How to Treat Chapped Lips in a Newborn:
Chapped lips on a newborn are not a severe condition, and they can be cured within days. Here are some easy and effective treatment options to heal newborn dry lips:
- Apply petroleum jelly:
There are a variety of options for petroleum jelly for babies available these days. Make sure to choose one that is FDA-approved. Petroleum jelly is an effective and safe solution for dry and chapped lips.
- Breastfeed timely:
As mentioned earlier, dry lips can be due to dehydration as well. Babies below the age of six months are prohibited from consuming water. Hence, mothers should ensure to breastfeed their babies to the required amount.
- Apply a lip balm:
Unscented lip balms or those made specifically for babies contain natural ingredients. They are safe to use and will cure chapped lips in hours.
- Use coconut oil:
Coconut oil for baby chapped lips has proved to be very effective. Coconut oil contains ingredients that are found in breast milk too. Hence, applying it to your baby’s chapped lips is perfectly safe.
- Use lanolin:
One hundred percent natural lanolin is perfectly safe to apply to a baby for dry lips. Lanolin for baby lips is safe for use. It can be used by the mother for herself as well. Usually, mothers apply it to heal their cracked nipples, which arise from breastfeeding. Lanolin is tasteless and can be used to cure a baby’s dry lips. Due to its tastelessness, it will not interfere with breastfeeding as well.
Make sure to consult a pediatrician before using any of the above treatments to cure chapped lips in babies.
How to Prevent Chapped Lips in a Newborn:
As they say, ‘prevention is better than cure. It’s better to adopt preventive measures than to find ways to cure it later. Following are some ways to prevent newborn dry lips:
- Install a humidifier:
A cool-mist humidifier is an excellent choice to install in your baby’s room. It will add moisture to the room, which will make your baby’s skin stay moisturized all the time. A cool-mist humidifier will also prevent nasal congestion.
- Dress your baby according to the weather:
If your baby is born during the summer season, then it doesn’t mean that you don’t layer your baby in clothing. Babies have thin and sensitive skin. So their clothing must be done in a way that can protect them from the weather.
- Follow a feeding schedule:
Adopt a proper feeding schedule that can keep your baby stay hydrated all the time. Be mindful of your feeding schedule, especially during summers. Good hydration will prevent the baby’s lips from getting dry.
- Only use baby-safe products:
Most people don’t pay heed to it and end up getting products that may be harmful to the baby. Whenever you are buying anything for your baby, make sure to check the ingredients thoroughly. Baby shampoos, lotions, powders, and creams should contain baby-safe ingredients. By doing this, you will prevent dry lips by a considerable margin.
Conclusion
Newborn dry lips are a persistent problem. However, as common as the problem might be, it is curable. There are some effective treatments that you can do at home, like the ones listed above. However, make sure to get the green light from the doctor.
For such a problem to not exist, adopt preventive measures, and no matter what happens, don’t panic. Chapped lips can occur for any reason and are nothing to worry about!
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