What should I do if there are white blisters inside my baby's lips?

White bubbles inside a baby's lips may be caused by sucking friction, milk residue, minor oral mucosal injury, thrush, or herpetic gingivostomatitis. These conditions can be improved through reducing irritation, maintaining oral hygiene, and medical treatment. If the number of blisters increases, the baby becomes irritable due to pain, or develops fever, prompt medical attention is necessary.

1. Sucking friction: Frequent sucking on a bottle nipple or breast can cause repeated friction on the inner lip mucosa, leading to small white blisters. These are usually painless and do not affect feeding. It is recommended to adjust the sucking position, avoid prolonged continuous sucking, and offer warm water after feeding to reduce mucosal irritation.

2. Milk residue: Failure to clean the mouth after feeding may result in milk residue coagulating into white deposits that resemble blisters. These can be easily wiped away without causing damage. After each feeding, gently wipe the baby’s mouth with sterile gauze moistened with warm water to maintain oral hygiene and prevent accumulation of milk residue.

3. Minor oral mucosal injury: Biting hard objects or self-biting the lips during crying can cause mucosal damage and form small white blisters, possibly accompanied by mild discomfort. Avoid giving the baby hard foods, soothe their emotions to reduce crying, and allow the injured mucosa to heal naturally.

4. Thrush (oral candidiasis): Caused by infection with *Candida albicans*, this condition leads to inflammation of the oral mucosa, presenting as white, patchy lesions or blister-like areas on the inner lips. These are difficult to wipe off and may cause the baby to refuse feeding and become fussy. Treatment should be guided by a doctor using medications such as nystatin suspension, fluconazole oral solution, or sodium bicarbonate solution.

5. Herpetic gingivostomatitis: Caused by herpes simplex virus infection, this condition results in clusters of small white blisters on the oral mucosa. When these rupture, they form painful ulcers, often accompanied by drooling, pain, and fever. As directed by a physician, topical acyclovir cream, kangfuxin liquid, and ibuprofen suspension may be used to relieve symptoms.

Ensure the baby's diet is light and easy to digest. Offer plenty of warm water, maintain good oral hygiene, avoid touching the mouth with hands, and regularly disinfect utensils used by the baby to support recovery of the oral mucosa.