Baby Acne??

Is it possibly heat rash? Maybe you have been over warming the baby because it is winter? My son was unusually warm as a baby. We learned that he needed one full layer lighter than whater he was wearing to keep him comfortable. BEWARE: If you have one of these kids, people will feel free to stop and give you nasty looks and say "Why that baby doesn't have enough clothes on!"

It sounds like my daughter had the same thing. The books all described it differently, but it really is little baby pimples. Normally I would wash her face with just a damp cloth but when the bumps started to show I would use a little soap. They eventually go away but she still get them every so often and she is almost 16 months. Allergic reactions usually show up in the form of a diaper rash first. I hope this helps!

I had that problem about the same time with my baby.... and I stopped eating cow dairy products for about two months.... Her skin cleared almost completely in a day or two.

I think she was just allergic to dairy for a little while. apparently very common.

Very, very common. It will go away. Our kids are born with such beautiful skin and then WOW, what happened! Just keep her clean (as I'm sure you do) and be patient.
Keep up the breast feeding. Babies who have only breast milk have such beautiful skin (just wait and see). All my kids had baby acne. My oldest, who was born in Dec. had it the worst. I think it was from having to be bundled up so much more than the others (who were all born in the spring or early summer). My June baby did develop heat rash, but that was very different fromt the baby acne.
I doubt that it is something that you are eating. Just continue to do what you are doing.

It sounds like baby acne. This is caused by the baby getting your hormones through breast milk and pregnancy. Usually, it peaks right around a month. The best solution I had (suggested by my daughter's pediatrician) was to use Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser. It is extremely gentle, but worked awesome. Be sure to get the one that does not need to be rinsed off (read the directions). You just smooth it on like lotion then wipe off the excess. It cleanses and what is left behind moisturizes.

This is completely normal... food allergies are exceptionally rare, but baby acne is routine. Her little body is just ridding itself of your hormones, which coursed through her while she was in utero... this will pass, and her skin will return to normal, smooth, flawless. May I recommend some reading, as there are likely to be near-daily things that will alarm you...? Maybe something like, "What to Expect for the First Year"... far better to live in peace, than to live in fear.

4 weeks is the standard age that baby acne presents and it tends to look like little pimples, just like teenage acne. It usually only lasts a few weeks and has to do with residual hormones from Mom in the baby's body. It has nothing to do with breastfeeding or what you are eating. There is nothing to be done about it except just wait for it to go away. I would recommend just using water to clean her face and no lotions for the time being.

Just a plug that breastfeeding is by far and away the best thing you can feed your baby and the relationship is unmatched. BF gets blamed for way too many things. Most babies will tolerate anything and everything their Mama's eat and drink.

PS I am a pediatrician.

Hi,
My son had baby acne on his face for about the first 2-3 months. It was no problem and cleared up on its own. I understand that baby acne is caused by mom's hormones lingering in the system. Its very common in newborns.
If you suspect an allergic reaction, you should talk with your pediatrician. It seems doubtful that something you ate would cause a rash on your baby, but it's good to double check.
Congratulations on your little one- my son is nearly 14 months, I can hardly believe how quickly those first few months passed by.

In my family baby acne and exema are very common. The main thing you can do is just wash the baby's face with water often and she'll grow out of it. Attepmting to pop any can lead to scarring just like a teen. But just wait it out and she'll be fine in a while.

My hairiest son had it really bad and at times it was embarrassing to have every friend ask about it. But looking at him now you wouldn't have ever known.

Jem-Mom to seven

I have heard that they are actually milk deposits, not sure how that happens. But they do go away,my son had them for a few months before they were gone completely.

Both of my boys had baby acne. It usually goes away within 2 or 3 weeks. I'd wait a month and see if it's gone. If not, then you can talk to your doctor about allergies. It's really common, supposedly doesn't bother them, and there's no magic topical cure. I use a real gentle baby soap that doesn't dry the skin out and then put lotion on it too. Jason is the brand I use and it seemed to help with the redness of the acne. My younger one is 2 months old now and his acne is gone.

My daughter had the same thing. I asked the Dr. during a visit, and she said it was nothing to worry about, that their skin is changing so fast that it's actually a lot like a teenager's skin. It will clear up by itself. My daughter had it off and on until she was about six months, and then it disappeared.

If you're concerned, it probably wouldn't hurt to check with your pediatrician. If it is a problem related to allergies, your doc can tell you if restricting your foods is necessary. That being said baby acne is totally normal and usually goes away within a couple of weeks. Something someone said to me that made it easier to handle: "It bothers you more than it bothers your baby."

I have read that excessive cleaning with soap should be avoided. A quick wipe with a clean washcloth is just as effective and reduces the risk of inflaming the acne.

Congrats on your little one!

Please don't administer any pharmceutical creams or ointments to your baby's faces, or anywhere else, for that matter, when they break out with normal baby acne! Their delicate new skin is still transitioning into the world, adjusting to what's in our air, touch, and environments. When we support their natural transition by keeping our hands off, other than basic hygenic practices, they go through this short time very smoothly. I've found that if something is desired for cleansing- though plain old warm water works fine, too- a drop of lavender or tea tree essential oils diluted well in a bowl of water is just enough. If a rash appears, however, it's never a bad idea to have it peaked at by your health care provider if you have any concerns that it may not be normal baby acne. M., Certified Professional Midwife

any form of skin break out is just that something is trying to
break out. IT isn't bad until you use something to try and stop the normal process. Keep the skin clean and the pores open so the body can do its job. Eat healthy foods that promote cleansing. Pimples are not uncomon in newborns.

been around a bit

Lots of good advice already, but wanted to put in my two penny advice: NEVER squeeze baby acne. These irritating little bumps that mar our baby's ubercuteness will go away by themselves without evacuation. Opening them will increase the risk of infection sharply. Congrats on your sweetness--best of success to you and your hubby!

Hi T.,
My oldest daughter had baby acne at about the same age your daughter is now. My doctor told me it'd clear up on it's own but it bugged me. I ended up using a little Cetaphil on her and it cleared up within a week. I only used it on the affected areas once or twice a day. It's really gentle so I felt it was safe.

S.

Two of my four children had 'baby acne'. What we found to work the best was switching our baby soap from (Johnson) to Aveno baby wash. It doesn't have that same wonderful smell, but some babies are actually irritated by johnsons. This cleared up my babies pretty quickly, the other thing you can check is your diet (chocolate,fatty foods etc) Remove anything that could be the culprit. Also, knowing that it will go away by 3 months no matter what the cause, Sometimes it's the baby getting used to mothers hormones in the milk. I hope this puts your mind at ease. ~Jen
PS One other thing I remember reading and did try, it seemed to help, especially on days baby doesn't get a bath...it sounds odd, but breast milk actually has healing properties in it, so the book said to put breast milk right on the acne and let it dry.

Hi~

My aunt told me it was called "prickly heat"or something like that.When my boy was a newborn,he would get it pretty often,up until I started putting a little cornstartch powder on him a couple times a day.

Check out this link:

http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,4310,00.html

Good luck:)

A.

This happened with both my boys, appearing around 5 weeks and lasted a few weeks. With my first I had the same reaction, thinking it was an allergic reaction or some virus. Just when it got so bad I was going to call the doctor it started going away.

Just wipe her face with water after feeding her so there isn't any milk on her face to aggrevate it and it should go away on it's own in a week or so.

It could just be the breast milk reaction against the skin..just try to keep it clean with water as wipes may irratate it and make it worse

My son had the same thing many years ago and we discovered it was an allergic reaction to anything perfumed - laundry soap, fabric softner, any bath soap except Ivory, make-up, some brands of disposable diapers, etc.

We found he broke out right after I put freshly washed clothes on him and whenever my mother, who wears lots of make-up and perfume, would cuddle him.

He is now an adult and has outgrown it for the most part.

My daughter had it too. It was disturbing to me because I wanted her to have beautiful skin. It worried me. Eventually it vanished and her beautiful little face was seen. My friends baby had it also and with her son it came and went for three or four months. Don't worry your little ones bumps will too. Some doctors will give you medication for it, although I believe that any chemical should stay far far away from new babies. Good luck and blessing to you.

Congratulations on your new little miracle. It sounds like your little daughter is right on track to get her "baby acne". At about this age there is a hormone change and the baby's skin will be bumpy for a few weeks, and then it just goes away. It is best not to put anything on the skin, it is so delicate, and most lotions, creams or sauves can cause more harm than good. Just one of those things that time will take care of--not to worry.

From what I know it's totally normal. Your perfect little baby with soft skin goes through this phase as your hormones shift and affect her through your breast milk. It looks terrible - little pus-filled spots that are bright red - but it goes away after a few weeks as I recall. LaLeche League has a lot of info on this. Despite my intellectual knowledge, I remember being so bummed when some friends saw my daughter in that phase and were like "ooh, what's wrong," instead of "oh, she's beautiful." If she isn't having other strange symptoms, it's probably normal. And she is darling all the same! Congratulations :)

My daughter had this too, I took her to the pediatrician and he told me it was acne - of course I had a hard time believing him because it looked so much like a rash, but I just kept her clean and dry, lotioned up, and it cleared itself up... as long as your baby doesn't seem bothered by it, dont let it bother you, see a doctor if it doesn't clear up of course.

This is absolutely nothing to worry about! It might look awful for a few weeks, but it will go away. All three of my children had this problem and it did concern me. It is caused by the breastfeeding but it's not an allergic reaction. The acne is caused by your hormones, which are going crazy in the first months after giving birth. Some of those mommy hormones are passed through your milk to the baby. But please keep on with the breastfeeding, the health benefits to your baby far outweigh this temporary side effect! My daughter did have the acne so bad that I took her to the doctor. It was in her ears, on her scalp, everywhere. I seem to recall that a topical cream was prescribed, so if it gets really bad you might want to take your baby to the pediatrician. If it's minor, then don't worry, it will go away!

It is called a "cleaning out rash". It is very normal, ususally happens about 6 weeks of age. It is just her pores opening and getting rid of the excess oil. It should go away on its own shortly. Just bathe her normally.

Enjoy your bundle of joy. They grow up too quickly.

First had it for NINE months(!). Beautiful clear skin now. The other three, nope, also beautiful clear skin.

Trying to think ... maybe I gave her baths with soap? Which I really haven't bothered with with the others while they were babies, nor really very often with her ... their skin needs to learn, just like the rest of them, and dependence on products is something I minimize. (Once the kids start to get dirty, well, that's something else again ;)! ) But I know that's probably pretty outre. Let's see ... it easily could just have been her personal body chemistry, or the different house we lived in then, or I was a vegetarian then ... it didn't "sense" like allergies.

I tell you what, trusting that it would get better got pretty hard after about month 4 though!! No support from DH on that, either: he was convinced I was risking facial scarring.

But she didn't pick at her skin, and everything is fine.

PS Congrats on the miracle baby :)!!

Hi T.,

I just wanted to alleviate some of your concern. I am on baby number 2 and both of my children have had the baby acne. I have a 3 month old and around the same time as your little one she got it pretty bad all over her face chest and back. Don't be worried, it is probably nothing you are eating, it is just the hormones she was exposed to while she was inside of you that are causing the pimples. They do go away on their own. My daughter is now pimple free with no lasting effects. HTH,

I have always been told by my pediatrician that baby acne is a normal reaction to the change in hormones from childbirth and will clear up. Check with your doctor but usually it is nothing to worry about. My sons both had some as well and it went away without a problem. Use mild soaps like Aveeno Baby Wash that has oatmeal in it. It can soothe baby's skin. You can also try A&D ointment, but for me I just waited it out and in a couple of weeks there was nothing left.

Congratulations on your baby!!! 5 years is so long to wait. God bless your little angel.

I had the same thing with my baby when she was about a month old and we even took her to the doctor to be told that it was baby acne. I figured out a few days later that it was a reaction to the lotion I was using on her face. I stopped using it and it went away almost immediately! I would suggest ruling out anything that is coming into contact with her face THEN starting on allergy possibilities. Better to rule out the easiest things first.

it is related to yeast.... it is harmless. it goes away.... but....our pedi prescribed Ketoconozale cream and it was gone within a day.

It is probably from her drooling..just try to keep her drool wiped off and it should go away. My son had the same thing and my mother in law told me the same thing and turns out that that was exactly what it was

Probably not allergies at this point - baby acne is SO common, both my babies had it, and yes, it's unsightly and embarassing (what happened to my beautiful newborn?!) but as others have said, it does clear up within a few weeks!! Just wash gently with clean water and a very soft cloth when bathing, and give it time. Almost all babies get it, there is no way to prevent or "clear it up". Do not pick or pop it, no matter how tempting! The contents of the pimples will be reabsorbed into your babies skin, and are part of the protective, moisturizing element that she needs, or so I've heard.

Congrats on your little one after so long of waiting for her - what a miracle!!!

hello I am a mom of three boys 10yrs 4years and 4mos. all of mine had the acne too. then I remembered to only use plain old water on a wash rag for their faces and in a day or two it cleared up. i use the aveeno baby wash for the rest of him I also make sure i wash his face 2 times aday. i've also been told that it is just there little bodies trying to adapt to the new environment still. it does go away. good luck

HI,
My daughter had the same thing around that same age. My doctor said it could be due to an increase of yeast (not sure why) and said I could give her infant acidophilis. I was worried about giving her anything besides breast milk at that time, but decided it was worth a try. The "baby acne" cleared up quickly so I guess it worked. The way I did it was to put some of the powder on my nipple for her to ingest while feeding. Or if you are pumping you could put some of the powder in a little bit of milk and feed it to her. Otherwise, I have heard they outgrow it after a month or so.

Congratulations on your new love.....Enjoy!

Best wishes,
R.

My daughter is 3mnths old and this happened to her when she was about 5 or 6 weeks. I took her to the doctor and she said to was her face with cetaphil and use cortizone cream not ointment. Check with doc first though. Hope this helps.

My baby had horrible baby acne (little red spots on face) also. What helped her was wiping her face several times per day with a washcloth with cool water. It seemed to sooth it a little and take away some of the redness. It goes away on its own over time though.

Hi T., it is uncommon for babies to be allergic to something in your breastmilk. She is at the age for infant acne... though you need a professional to see it to know for sure. Best of luck! I too had difficulties getting a baby here- I had 4 miscarriages over 2 1/2 years before my little guy arrived safely.

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it but the good news is that it does not last long. It is baby acne, it is completely normal, and you don't need to do anything for it. It usually appears at about 4 weeks and then disappears by about 8 weeks. Then your baby will have the smooth baby skin everyone loves. Just make sure to keep baby's nails trimmed so she won't scratch at the pimples and irritate them.

I have a two month old as well as a 8yr old. Both of them went through the baby acne and both of them were breast fed. I have been told by the pediatricianand a naturopath it is just their skin adjusting to the outside world. Two things that I know really set it off was daddy's goatee and the amount of people holding his face up against their clothing. Using a washcloth with a small amount of baby soap daily to keep their faces cleaned really seemed to help.