Mostly the mothers are worried, why are baby lips turning black? This is a process called acrocyanosis. Mostly this is caused by small blood vessels shrinking in response to cold and similar weather conditions.
You can observe discolored lips after breastfeeding in a specific category of babies. Sometimes this coloration of lips leads mainly due to breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or sippy cup feedings.
There is another unique name called circumoral cyanosis. There is blue discoloration around the mouth can be seen.
Normally this appears in infants. Most of the time the infant’s upper lip converts into marked discoloration. If the baby has dark skin, the discoloration will appear gray and white.
You need to rule out a few things as soon as you observe discoloration of your baby’s lips. This kind of circumoral cyanosis commonly happens when the baby is trying to go outside in cold weather but eventually, the cyanosis will disappear once they warm up.
We need to emphasize that the most common reason behind babies’ lips discoloration is breast milk. Parents need to properly wipe out the residual milk from the baby’s lips after breastfeeding. If you do this procedure very well you can get rid of this issue very easily.
Make sure to wipe out the baby’s sleep in a downward direction as soon as they finish breastfeeding the bottle or sippy cup.
This is the normal procedure when it applies to babies’ lips turning black. But in other ways, tiny babies’ lips turn black for many different reasons. Parents need to get a clear understanding of this issue as it is directly related to a medical emergency sometimes.
Dear parents, the baby’s lips can give many clues about the baby’s health. That is why we always suggest you be a good observer of your child.
Some medical experts say that the lips might go dark when the baby is trying to suck too hard while they are feeding. There may be other reasons for this as well.
The discoloration of lips can be started within 5 weeks of all babies. Most of the time the mothers are trying to find solutions thinking this is a major problem at the start of their baby’s life cycle.
1. Is the discoloration of lips normal in babies?
There may be a few other common causes that a baby’s lip turns black. Sometimes babies try to suck too hard while feeding. Also, most mothers apply nipple cream and that will contaminate their baby’s lips while sucking.
These two factors are mainly caused the baby’s lips to turn black. Also, these things are considered normal things that mothers should not worry too much about.
So dark lips, depending on the reasons, are normal for babies. In newborns, black and red lips are very normal. The red lips are simply due to the natural appearance of having chapped due to forceful sucking.
Finally, I would like to say that some of the issues might need immediate medical attention, but not all of them are cause for worry.
2. What are the different types of colors in baby lips?
There are various reasons for the baby’s lips turning into different colors. We can mainly see purple lips and red lips among the babies.
Purple lips of blue lips
These types of colors in lips can be turned into normal pink in a short time period. But if it lasts for a prolonged time period, parents need to attend to that.
This may be an indication of a lack of oxygen supply within the baby and your baby is going to be less responsive within a short time period, which means she/he may have a potentially serious issue known as cyanosis.
Then this blue color gradually extends to the tongue and nails. Those areas also eventually turn into as blue tongues and blue nails. This type of situation needs urgent medical attention. Also, this emergency can be seen at birth sometimes.
Never try to expose your baby to rapid temperature changes in the environment. Because your baby takes a long time to adjust to that kind of temperature.
Eventually, their lips are also trying to change their color at this time. In winter times if you are taken your baby outside into the temperatures, your baby might end up with blue or purple lips mostly. You can follow a few remedies for this type of situation.
Red lips among infants
If your baby has dry lips that can easily turn red. If you put your baby in a high temperature outside for a long time you can get this type of dry lips within your infant. Most parents misunderstand this as chapped lips. But it is not actually due to the reason for chapping while breastfeeding.
The baby’s susceptible skin on their lips can be damaged due to various reasons. Mainly the chapped lips are typical in babies. There are various reasons for chapped lips.
Dehydration and forceful sucking while breastfeeding is the main factors among them. Sometimes weather changes, skin sensitivities, and nutritional deficiencies are additional sources for these chapped lips.
Most of this chapter’s lips are similar to red lips. If your baby has red lips and it is not interfering with the baby’s feeding efficiency, you should not bother about that. But if the red lips of a baby are interfering with feeding, that should be so attentive.
3. What are the causes that the baby’s lips turn black?
Baby lips turning black have a very normal incidence most of the time in infants. Sometimes this happens during the first few days after birth. Babies are trying to suck too hard while breastfeeding within the first few weeks of their birth.
This is also true with the pacifier or using a baby bottle. When a baby sucks too hard from their mom’s nipple, there is a temporary reduction of blood supply to their lips. This is the main reason for the baby’s darker lips within the first few weeks of birth.
In the present day, mums use nipple cream most of the time. Sometimes this nipple cream is a major reason for lip darkness in babies.
In some cases, marked darkness of the upper lip can be seen in babies. This happens basically due to the low levels of oxygen in your baby’s body. This is a serious situation and you need to pay attention thoroughly to this.
In cold environmental conditions, the small blood vessels of the lips can shrink in response to cold. This type of darkness of the lips can easily go away when adequate warmth is produced for the baby.
4. Getting blue lips is a serious symptom in babies sometimes. Never ignore that.
If you notice discoloration in any area along with the lip darkness of your baby, you need to see emergency medical treatment. This additional darkness can be extended into the areas such as feet, hands, and around the baby’s mouth is highly advisable to seek medical emergency treatment.
There are a few other warning signs that can be seen along with this lip-darkening. Dosa has rapid heart rate, breathing problems, gasping, excessive sweating, etc
5. What are the reasons for babies getting chapped lips?
When the weather is called and right most of the time your baby’s lips can get chapped. Also, these chapped lips may be a result of friction such as licking lips and breastfeeding. Exposure to direct sunlight can be another reason for chap clips
If you are breastfeeding, look at your baby’s lips. The baby’s lips can appear dry after nursing because it tends to contact your skin. Sometimes they are maybe blisters develop on your baby’s lip from friction during nursing.
6. Treatment techniques for chapped lips in newborns?
The parent should be the cause of any products they use on their baby’s skin. especially on their baby lips. Because those products can be easily ingested. So most medical professionals recommend against your baby ingesting anything such as milk or formula within the first several months of their baby’s life.
Even a small quantity of anything can introduce bacteria to their sensitive gut. so breast milk is the one and the only thing that you can provide your baby within the first few weeks of their life.
Parents can use breast milk as the best treatment of option for chapped lips babies. Hey, you can squeeze milk from your breast directly onto your baby’s lips. Also, you can use a few drops of previously extracted breast milk. That can family apply to the chapter lips of your baby and it can cure the bad quality of your baby’s lips.
7. What are special caring tips for your baby’s lips?
You can follow the following hacks to prevent chapped lips and care for your baby’s lips very well.
Parents need to protect their babies’ lips from the weather. Parents can apply baby-friendly lip balm on their baby’s lips while they are going out in cold weather. If the parents can use a humidifier inside their homes they can reduce dry infant skin and help it nasal congestion.
The parents totally avoid adult moisturizers and creams from their babies. Because strong creams and loose ends will further dry the baby’s skin very soon. So it is advisable for parents to use baby-safe products for the first few months of the baby’s life.
If your baby shows few signs of dehydration, you can feed your baby more regularly. In that way, parents can prevent getting the baby’s dry lips.
So try to hybrid a baby with breast milk as soon as possible if you see a few signs of dehydration such as hard stools and let’s frequent with diapers.
8. Conclusion
Turning baby lips black during the first few weeks of your baby is a common thing. Breastfeeding is the main reason for this. Most infants try to suck their mom’s nipple so hard to feed at the beginning. So they may cause chapped lips.
Due to this chapping, the lips can be converted to red color or blue color. Also, the weather conditions are another reason for the discolored lips of your baby.
Sometimes getting blue lips should be taken seriously for medical attention as it shows a lack of oxygen supply to the baby through breathing. Finally, parents should understand that baby lips can take several colors such as black, blue, or red. Also, this happens due to many reasons. Figuring out the correct reason is the important thing.