Feeding babies with breast milk is what has been done for millennia. With such figures and experience we should think that it is like a child's play, an oil raft. However, although there are times when everything is shot, there are some problems or discomforts that may occur and that both mothers and professionals should know.
One of these inconveniences is the appearance of a milk pearl or white dot on the nipple, which can be very annoying and painful and cause some mothers to decide to throw in the towel, but that can (usually) be easily solved.
If you have never had one, you may be wondering what it is. Then you have a drawing (yes, I have done it and no, I do not know how to do it better), which I do not know if it is very representative, in which you can see in the nipple a ball, which would be the mentioned milk pearl.
Let's say what you see is a small white point, bright, similar to grains when they are full of pus (similar in size), with the proviso that they are full of milk.
What is a milk pearl or white point
The milk pearl or white spot on the nipple is the obstruction of the exit of a small mammary gland from the nipple. When the gland becomes clogged, the milk is accumulated, bulging the most superficial skin outwards (when the skin is stretched, it shines) and thus acquiring the appearance of pearl pearl.
This white point, as milk arrives, can increase in size, being a quite painful process, which is explained as a sharp and penetrating burning or burning.
It is usually resolved only about 5 to 7 days after the appearance. First we have the pearl of milk, then there is a whitish skin (the stretched skin) and finally a scab is made that then falls.
How a pearl of milk or white dot appears on the nipple
A white spot on the nipple may have a traumatic origin, the baby is usually the culprit, trying to do something else while breastfeeding, such as pulling back hard, biting or looking at something or someone. By pulling the chest can get to injure some duct, plug it and cause the appearance of the mentioned pearls.
They may also appear, being the other known cause, for microbial disorder or chest infection. When there is alteration or infection the ducts can become inflamed. In addition, some bacteria create layers of biofilms that adhere inside the ducts, further helping the ducts to clog.
How to treat a pearl of milk
When the origin is traumatic and there is no infection they can be left until after 5-7 days they disappear. However, as we have commented that they are very painful, it may be advisable prick the milk pearls to drain the milk and stop bothering.
For this, it is recommended to apply a little heat beforehand (the heat causes dilation of the ducts and will facilitate subsequent emptying) and then prick or slightly lift the superficial layer of skin with a sterile needle, pressing for milk to flow out.
If instead the origin is infectious or inflammatory, the obstruction will surely be more serious and will affect the duct more deeply (it is said that the pearl is only "the tip of the iceberg"). In this case, it is best to go to a health center to take samples of the milk, make a culture and prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic To treat the infection.
