Breast engorgement in newborn baby | Witch's milk

This video tells you about #neonatalbreastengorgement and #witch'smilk.
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Newborn breasts may appear a little swollen and some milk may ooze out if squeezed. This is because of the baby being exposed to the mother's hormones before birth. If left alone, this settles by itself, usually in 2 to 3 weeks. This milk is called "witch's milk", from ancient folklore that fluid leaking from a newborn's nipple was a source of nourishment for witches' familiar spirits and is therefore considered bad.
It is a common practice in most Indian households to squeeze out newborn babies' breasts and remove the "bad" milk from them. This practice is also linked to many other superstitions.
Actually, if breasts are squeezed to let out milk, the small holes in the nipples may open out, allowing bacteria to enter, causing infection in the breasts. This may get as bad as getting a surgeon to drain out pus from the breast. And sometimes breast tissue can get permanently damaged, which is not a good thing especially in girl babies. So, please do not squeeze out your baby's breasts.