Did you notice some little white spots on your baby’s gums or palate and not know what they were? 😮 Don’t worry: they have a name, they are completely normal, and they go away on their own.
They are called Bohn’s nodules and Epstein pearls. They measure just 1 or 2 mm, are whitish-yellow in color, and their firm texture makes them look like grains of rice trapped under the skin. Bohn’s nodules appear on the mucosa of the cheeks, the tongue, or the periphery of the palate. Epstein pearls, on the other hand, are located along the midline of the palate and are remnants of epithelial tissue left behind during the baby’s development in the womb. 👶
Most importantly: neither requires treatment. They do not cause pain or discomfort to the baby, and within a few weeks they detach and disappear on their own. Doctors only recommend a gentle digital massage and observing their progress. So if you noticed them in your newborn’s mouth, now you know exactly what they are. ✅
