In the first few days after the baby is born, the baby's chest may become hard and milk will flow out of the nipple which will eventually disappear naturally. In these cases:
- You should not squeeze the baby's breast to get milk, as it can inflame and cause an abscess that only passes with antibiotics or, in severe cases, surgery; One should only clean the baby's breast with water, in case the milk starts to leak from the nipples; Take the baby to the pediatrician if the breast is red, swollen and hot.
Usually, in two weeks, the baby's breast is no longer stiff and no more milk comes out of the nipple.
Is it normal for milk to come out of the baby's breast?
It is normal for the baby's chest to become stiff, looking like it has a lump, and for milk to come out of the nipple, both in the case of boys and girls, because the baby still has the mother's hormones responsible for the development of the mammary glands in his body.
This outflow of milk from the baby's breast, called breast swelling or physiological mamitis, is not a disease and does not happen with all babies, but eventually disappears naturally when the baby's body begins to eliminate the mother's hormones from the bloodstream..
When to see your pediatrician
Parents should take the baby to the emergency room or pediatrician when the baby's breast becomes swollen, red, hot and starts leaking pus or when the baby has a fever above 38ºC.
In these cases, the baby's chest may have become infected and the pediatrician must guide the appropriate treatment, which is usually done with antibiotics and, in the most severe cases, surgery.
