Treatment of nipple wounds in lactating women – a literature review

Nipple trauma is a frequent problem among breastfeeding women. It causes negative effects on the quality of life of new mothers and may be a reason for early weaning. Nipple damage that may occur in lactation includes cracks and fissures, abscesses, blisters, scabbing, erosion of the tissue, or bleeding. The main aim of the paper is to summarize current knowledge about nipple wounds and trauma in lactating women. For this review, we conducted a manual search of the PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Wiley databases. We used the keywords ‘nipple wound lactation’, ‘nipple wound breastfeeding’, ‘nipple trauma lactation’, ‘nipple trauma breastfeeding’, ‘nipple injury lactation’, ‘nipple injury breastfeeding’, ‘nipple candidiasis’, and ‘ankyloglossia breastfeeding’. We focused on papers published between 2017 and 2023 and their references. Evaluation was based on titles, then by abstracts, and then by full text. Main criterium of including the publications to our paper was if they are raising the problem of nipple trauma in lactation.

Breastfeeding is physically and mentally beneficial for both mothers and infants. Pain and damage of the nipple may cause early cessation of breastfeeding. Awareness and early detection of nipple trauma are vital for its proper management. Education and raising knowledge of lactation as a process, and breastfeeding techniques regarding both their position and baby positioning, are key for successful breastfeeding. The choice of treatment is based on the type of nipple trauma.