Baby Skin Rashes

Thursday, October 22, 2009


Unfortunately, babies often don't have very clear skin.

Baby Acne
Neonatal or baby acne is a common problem that begins after a baby is a few weeks old. It is thought to be triggered by maternal hormones that a baby gets even before she is born.

Infants with baby acne typically get whiteheads, blackheads, and pustules on their nose, scalp, cheeks and forehead. There skin may also appear red and rough. Although its appearance is often distressing to new parents, no treatment is usually required. In fact, baby acne typically goes away on its own in a few weeks or months.

Heat Rash
As the name implies, heat rash is triggered in some babies when they become overheated, either because they are overdressed or because it is simply too hot outside. As they become hot and sweat, their sweat ducts become blocked and rupture.

Prickly heat, which is also known as miliaria rubra, is the most common type of heat rash. In this form of heat rash, the sweat duct becomes red and inflamed and look like small bumps with a red halo around them. They can be found grouped together under a child's clothing and inside the folds of his skin, such as his neck, armpits, and groin.

Miliaria crystallina is another type of heat rash, but the skin doesn't get inflamed, leading to the classic appearance of small clear vesicles, without any redness or other symptoms.
Cradle Cap
Cradle cap, a common rash on a baby's head, is usually easy to recognize, with symptoms that can include a scalp rash that:

* is dry and flaky
* has thick, greasy, yellow or brown scales
* has red patches with crust
* is sometimes itchy

For mild cradle cap, time is often the best treatment, as many children get better on their own by the time they are about 1 year old.

Source: Skin Rashes

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Baby Acne - Natural Cures

Wednesday, October 21, 2009


Acne is usually regarded as a teenage affliction coinciding with adolescence. However, it is not uncommon to see these tell tale pimples on an infant two to six weeks old. This condition is called baby acne or infantile acne. The pimples usually erupt on the cheeks and sometimes also on the forehead and chin. The reason for this is pinned on the mother’s hormones, the specific cause being a minor imbalance of hormones at the time of delivery. Sometimes, the use of certain medications too results in the eruption of pimples on a newborn’s skin. Though spotting acne on your newborn’s skin can be quite heartbreaking and alarming, it is not a serious condition. It is definitely temporary and will vanish by itself in a few weeks. Only in the rarest of rare cases does baby acne persist till the age of six months. If you spot pimples on your baby’s face, it is always advisable to seek medical attention to ensure that it is just baby acne, considering how sensitive baby skin is. That done, you can rest assured the pimples will go away by themselves. There is actually nothing that you need to do to heal baby acne.


Most importantly, do not use a lot of creams on your baby’s skin. The skin at that age is extremely sensitive and a lot of skin care products may actually cause further damage. Use lukewarm water with a mild baby soap to wash your baby. Wash your baby’s face at least two or three times in a day. Remember to be gentle both while washing and drying the skin. Do not scrub using a towel as this will aggravate the inflammation. Use an extremely soft towel and gently pat dry. Use only natural oils on your baby’s skin once a day to moisturize it. Avoid over-dressing your infant. Choose clothes made of extremely soft cotton with a considerably loose fitting. The detergents you use to wash your baby’s clothes are as important as the soap you use to bathe your baby. Absolutely avoid harsh detergents as they make the clothes rough which in turn will worsen the inflammation on your baby’s skin. If the symptoms are severe and persist beyond six months, a doctor may advise the use of certain medications like benzyl peroxide. However, follow this treatment only under medical supervision. The best course of action is definitely patience, as baby acne tends to go away by itself.

Source : Baby Acne Treatment

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