Infantile acne affects 20% of newborns and is caused by the mother’s hormones. It’s not painful or noticeable to the child and usually goes away within a few months. Treatment isn’t usually necessary, but keeping the baby’s skin clean and dry can help. Avoid using oils, lotions, or harsh detergents.
Infantile acne, also called acne neonatorum, affects about 20% of newborns and is a common condition. Baby acne usually appears at birth or within the first few weeks after birth. This rash is thought to occur as a reaction to the mother’s hormones reaching the baby either through the placenta before birth or through breastfeeding after birth. The hormones cause the sebaceous glands on your baby’s skin to produce bumps that resemble acne.
The condition of childhood acne is more common among boys than girls and is not painful or noticeable to the child. Newborn acne typically appears as small white dots that may be surrounded by reddish, irritated skin. The appearance of the bumps might become more pronounced when the baby or skin is agitated. Infant pimples usually don’t last more than a few weeks, but some babies will continue to have acne pimples for up to a few months.
Treatment for childhood acne isn’t usually necessary, although there are options that will relieve your child’s itching and irritation. This baby rash usually goes away when a baby is a few months old or no longer breastfeeding regularly. Neonatal acne is typically more pronounced when the baby is fussy or flushed, due to increased blood flow to the skin. Skin irritation also generates more baby pimples, particularly when a baby gets wet around the mouth area from milk or regurgitation or when the baby comes into contact with washed clothes with harsh detergents. Some parents use oils or lotions to try and get rid of the bumps, but these treatments could further aggravate the condition and should generally be avoided.
The condition of childhood acne is a normal occurrence that usually clears up over time, but there are several things that can be done to reduce or avoid childhood pimples. First, you should work on keeping your baby’s mouth and cheek area dry and clean. Parents should consider using a mild, chemical-free detergent to wash clothes and should use mild baby soaps to wash the baby, especially around the mouth area. Parents will want to avoid oils, lotions, or other topical remedies, as they can make a child’s acne worse. You might also want to consider the formula used, because formulas containing soymilk contain ingredients that closely mimic hormones and could cause more acne in your baby.
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