Babies may experience breast swelling due to hormones passed from the mother after birth. In some cases, milk may even come from the baby’s breast. These formations are normal, regardless of the sex of the baby. Although they can be uncomfortable and painful from the outside, these swellings do not hurt the baby. It can be seen in an average of 90% of newborn babies. So, how do these bumps go away? Details in our article.

What is Breast Swelling in Babies?

Babies may experience breast swelling due to hormones passed from the mother after birth. In some cases, milk may even come from the baby’s breast. Regardless of the gender of the baby, it is normal for the breast to be swollen or hard and for milk to come out. The lumps in the baby’s breast may be the size of a walnut or hazelnut. Although they can be uncomfortable and painful from the outside, these swellings do not hurt the baby. It can be seen in an average of 90% of newborn babies.

What Causes Breast Swelling in Babies?

Here the baby in the womb is nourished by the placenta (the cord between the mother and the baby). The baby is affected by the hormones that pass from the mother through this bond. In addition, after birth, the baby is also affected by the hormones that pass through the mother. Breast swelling, hardness and milk may occur in babies due to hormones that pass from the mother to the baby both through the placenta and through the mother. This condition is more common in babies whose gestational age exceeds 40 weeks.

What are the Symptoms of Breast Swelling in Babies?

The average breast diameter of a healthy newborn baby’s breast is 1-2 cm. About 70% of babies may have breast swelling of varying degrees. Symptoms of milk accumulation or swelling in the breast of babies can be listed as follows:

• Soft or hard lumps in the breast, noticed 3 days after the birth of the baby. It may be smaller in some babies and larger in others.
• These lumps, which are usually benign, can sometimes accumulate milk.
• The swelling, which is more pronounced during labor, may shrink over time.

What to do with breast swelling in infants? What should not be done?

Mothers often massage or rub the swelling without consulting a doctor. Trying to relieve the swelling in the baby’s breasts with massage and rubbing is a wrong practice. Massaging and rubbing these areas will not reduce the swelling and may cause injuries to the baby’s skin, increasing the risk of infection. Since the baby’s breast tissue is very sensitive, it can easily spread to other tissues and cause an abscess. In such a case, the patient should be evaluated by a pediatric surgeon. Such an infection will require inpatient antibiotic treatment as well as surgical drainage. Therefore, it would be the best behavior to stay away from applications such as breast intervention.

How Does Swelling in the Chest in Babies Go Away?

This swelling in the breasts of babies will regress as the hormones that pass into the baby’s body are absorbed and their effect decreases. However, this swelling may recur due to fluctuations in the hormones passed through the mother’s milk. These recurrent swellings will usually disappear spontaneously within 2 weeks. If the baby’s breast swelling persists or recurs, it would be appropriate to have it checked by a pediatrician, even if there is a small possibility that there is another problem.

How to Diagnose and Treat Breast Swelling?

If these natural swellings in the breasts of babies do not disappear spontaneously within 2 weeks, a physician should be consulted for a definitive diagnosis. For the diagnosis of infant breast swelling, the patient’s history is first obtained from the parents. Ask how long the symptoms have been present. Ultrasound imaging is also used to clarify whether there are any other problems with the baby’s breast.

Breast swelling goes away on its own if there are no extra health problems. The important thing is to wait for this process and not to squeeze the swelling. The doctor may also prescribe pomade creams for swelling that does not go away.