Baby acne treatment

Introduction to baby acne

Usually within a few weeks after birth, a parent can noticed some kind of rash forming on the baby’s face that resembles acne.

Parents might thing that this is acne of the same variety that affects teenagers and they might begin treating it in the same way that such acne is treated.

However, baby acne is a completely different thing, and the causes of the outbreaks are not the same as the causes of regular acne.

The acne usually develops on the baby’s cheeks, but it can also develop on the forehead, chin and even back of the newborn.

It looks like whiteheads with reddish skin surrounding them. The outbreaks do resemble adult pimples and are red in appearance.

When the baby is calm the condition looks mild, but it looks worse when the baby overheats and is being fussy.

Other things that can aggravate the condition include saliva, rough fabrics and spit-up from the baby.

Using harsh detergents when washing the baby’s clothes and blankets can also make the condition worse.

This type of baby acne is sometimes confused with a regular type of rash, so there are things that should be looked for in order to confirm that it is indeed baby acne. This type of acne will usually go away naturally after three or four months and the baby will get it in its third or fourth week, most likely. It is also more prevalent in males than females.

Unlike rashes, the baby acne never appears on the chest or feet and hands of the baby.

Causes

Baby acne is fairly common an about 20 percent of newborns are affected by it.

However, the cause for it has yet to be uncovered. Doctors believe that it is a case of passing hormones from the mother to the baby in the final stages of pregnancy.

These essential hormones are transferred through the placenta to the baby and are vital for life outside of the womb. The hormones stimulate lung maturation and can also increase oil gland activity, which could be the reason behind the acne.

Other people believe that the acne is caused by medications that a mother may e taking during pregnancy or nursing.

Since there is no way to control the passing of these hormones from the mother, there is really no prevention of baby acne, but it can be treated. Treatment

Even though the acne will usually just go away on its own, the best course of action is to clean the skin regularly. It is important to clean the baby’s skin daily using mild soap and clean, warm water. It is also very important not to use any harsh or medicated soaps or creams because they can only aggravate the baby’s already sensitive skin.