What causes irritation around the mouth? How can it be prevented?
Dr. Valleteau de Moulliac,
Consulting pediatrician for Laboratoires Sarbec
Dermatoses around the mouth in young infants are mainly due to irritation of the skin caused by contact with saliva (when the baby drools, especially during teething), nasal discharge, food, but also lip biting (such as the habit of licking overly dry lips). These irritations are aggravated by cold weather and dry skin, but especially by friction from a pacifier or a chewed comforter.
This manifests as red patches or a halo around the mouth, sometimes with oozing or scratching if it becomes eczematous. If a secondary infection occurs, these lesions can turn into impetigo.
These irritations are sometimes maintained by the overuse of unsuitable creams or ointments.
It is very difficult to prevent them because you cannot stop your child from drooling, having a runny nose, chewing on their comforter, or giving up a soothing pacifier. However, you can thoroughly clean the area around their mouth and face after each meal (with micellar water for babies), moisturize lips that are too dry and constantly bitten, but above all, protect their skin from all the aggressions it endures (cold, saliva, pacifier) with a suitable and, of course, hypoallergenic protective and repairing cream.
Irritations around the mouth are certainly very common and difficult to prevent… but you can still limit them with appropriate care.
