Sorry folks I hit send before I had completed my last message so excuse me if
I start over:
<<Though I'd jump in with some additional thoughts on  Healing sore nipples.
The comments on hydrogen peroxide are somewhat surprizing. The harsh reaction
when it is poured on a wound can cause some of the cells that are attempting
to heal the wound to necrose or die and can damage healthy tissue. A plastic
surgeon once told me he'd seen more damage from people using hydrogen
peroxide to clean the wound than the initial wound. The necrotic sections had
to be cut away before he could suture. The end result was a nasty, often
deep, scar.
Wound healing occurs in several ways:
First intention or primary union; where the skin edges touch each other. (a
surgical wound or a paper cut) The wound heals from side to side.
Second intention or granulation; The wound is open and the skin edges do not
touch each other. (Scraped knees, and scabs on nipple tips  deep nipple
fissures) The body forms granulation tissue that fills the wound. Basically
the wound heals from the bottom up. The more vascular the area the quicker
the healing. Granulation tissue is very sensitive and bleeds easily.
Third intention or secondary suture; The wound is left open to begin
granulaton then the two edges of granulation tissue are brought together and
 sutured. This is usually done for large wounds.<<<
The idea with nipple wounds is to promote healing without damaging the new
tissue that is forming. Since granulation tissue is so sensitive H2O3 would
not only sting and burn--it would probably delay healing.
For nipple fissures we have had great success with using Epsom salt soaks. We
have the mother mix up the soak in very warm water as directed on the box and
then place it in a bowl so she can dip her breast into the bowl with the warm
solution. Mom is to do this 4 times a day for 10 minutes. The heat improves
circulation and the epsom salts are very soothing as well as healing. When
there are deep wounds and bleeding we have her follow the soak with a light
coat of triple antibiotic cream (neosporin here in the US). Note that I said
cream, not ointment. Ointments are petrolium based-- creams are usually water
based. The antibiotic cream is prophalatic to help prevent ascending
mastitis. After feedings where mom is not using the epsom salt soaks we have
her use purified lanolin to keep the area moist. If the problem has been
corrected and the baby  is no longer injuring the nipple, they heal very
quickly--even deep wounds heal in 3 days or less. We've had only one case of
subsequent mastitis using this method in 6 years.
Marie Davis RNCLC