Julia B. 
The menacing skin disease acne does not even spare the cutest newborns, pushing their parents into a grave turmoil. Small rashes, pimples or zits might emerge on your sweet baby’s cheeks, forehead, chin, and even back or chest within the first few weeks after birth. This is known as infant acne.
Possible Reasons behind the Formation of Baby Acne
- At an earlier stage of life, the baby bears the hormonal traits from the mother derived at the later stage of pregnancy. It is often found that if the hormonal equilibrium of the mother is already disturbed, then it might be transmitted to the baby as well, thereby giving rise to a fair chance of acne formation.
- Newborns have relatively sensitive and tender skin than adults. Therefore if their skin is subjected to any kind of irritation, it might bring about acne outbreak. Babies have a common tendency of dragging their heads from side to side while lying on bed. This might generate similar frictions on their cheeks against the pillow, with an ultimate consequence that calls forth infant acne.
- Clothes are often found to be a common source of factors causing baby acne. Sputtered milk or drooling saliva often make their clothes wet. Saliva especially is full of enzymes which are quite likely to initiate irritation if transmitted on the tender and sensitive baby skin. If remained unwashed, they would invite malicious elements and transmit them on the baby’s tender skin.
- Sometimes harsh detergents might also evoke similar skin irritations. Also it is important to rinse off the detergents completely after washing the baby’s clothes. Smallest traces or remains of detergents are quite likely to leave aversive impact on the baby’s skin which might even result in infant acne. And if your baby is already suffering from acne problems then strictly avoid such situations since they might aggravate the existing acne lesions.
- Irregular bowel movement is a very common problem found among newborns. However, doctors say that the absence of bowel for 4 to 5 days at a stretch is quite normal unless there is some serious illness or abnormality noticed in the baby’s normal health. In case if it prolongs by more than 4 or 5 days, then it is time to be cautious as it might be an indication of toxic accumulation inside the body and skin. It is not an unknown fact that toxic accumulation is one of the main reasons behind acne formation and infant acne is not an exception either.
Necessary Steps for Treatment And Prevention
- Never use hard scrubbers in order to cleanse or exfoliate the baby’s skin. An infant’s skin is always more sensitive and tender than what it actually appears. Too much rubbing or scrubbing, especially if there are instances of existing lesions, would cause more harm than good.
- Never use harsh or abrasive clothes for the baby. Such clothes cause more irritation than usual ones and if the skin is sensitive, or more explicitly, invaded by acne, then this might invite worse condition.
- Over-the-counter medicines like benzoyl peroxide are used on the acne lesions. Prescribed antibiotic medicines like erythromycin (both topical and oral) and trimethoprim are suggested by physicians; even the administration of isotretinoin might sometimes be essential depending on the complication and severity of the case. However, antibiotics like tetracycline should certainly not be administered on infants or young children.
- It is indeed a nightmare to watch the horrific appearance of blemishes on the lovely and tender little face of your baby. Do not get panicked at the sight of infant acne, or never try whatever lotions, creams or gels you find at your nearby store, nor get persuaded by misleading suggestions. Or else there would be scars on your baby’s tender skin forever. The best way out is to consult an experienced physician in this regard or at least try to gather some sound information on antiacne products which are suitable for baby skin.
- Take care of the soaps you use to wash the baby’s skin and detergents for washing your baby’s clothes. They should not be too harsh for the soft and tender skin. Always go for good quality baby soaps. They are always mild and therefore less likely to generate any kind of irritation.
- Infant acne is not an uncommon or rare phenomenon. More often than not, young mothers are advised to have patience and leave the lesions undisturbed as they tend to vanish in due course of time. Nevertheless, stubborn cases must be dealt with close medical supervision and before that a thorough diagnosis and a detailed case study might be essential in order to confirm whether the skin eruptions are really acne or something else.
