Babies can develop multiple skin conditions during the first few months of life including diaper rashes, infantile acne, milia and cradle cap. Some are caused by normal hormonal changes or immature pores, while others are caused by inflammation.
Diaper rashes are common with babies, and there are multiple ways to treat it at home successfully. Diaper rash is a common form of inflamed skin (dermatitis) that appears as a patchwork of bright red skin on your baby’s bottom.
Keeping your baby’s diaper area clean and dry and increasing air flow can help prevent diaper rashes. If your baby does develop a diaper rash, try applying over-the-counter products such as A + D, Balmex, Desitin, Triple Paste and Lotrimin (for yeast infections).
Zinc oxide is the active ingredient in many diaper rash products. The products are usually applied to the rash throughout the day to soothe and protect your baby’s skin. A thin layer will do the trick. You can also apply petroleum jelly on top, which helps keep the diaper from sticking to the cream.
As a general rule, I often tell parents to stick with diaper rash products that are designed for babies. It is best to avoid items containing baking soda, boric acid, camphor, phenol, benzocaine, diphenhydramine or salicylates. These ingredients can be toxic for babies. Until the rash clears up, you should also be bathing your baby each day with warm water and mild, fragrance-free soap.
Other types of skin issues with newborns include infantile acne and cradle cap. Babies often get pimples on their cheeks, noses and foreheads during the first few weeks of life. It will usually clear up on its own within a few months and has nothing to do with whether your child will have acne problems as a teenager, but can be alarming for many parents.
Another skin condition is milia, which is when white spots appear on a baby’s face and possibly on the gums or the roof of the mouth. These white spots go away by themselves in a few weeks and are not harmful to your child.
Cradle cap is an oily, yellow scaling or crusting on a baby’s scalp. This is also common and easily treated; it is not an illness and doesn’t imply the baby isn’t well cared for. Cradle cap is the normal buildup of sticky skin oils, scales and sloughed skin cells. It usually goes away by a baby’s first birthday.
Home treatment for the condition includes rubbing your baby’s scalp with baby oil or petroleum jelly to help lift the crusts and loosen scales an hour before shampooing. When you’re ready to shampoo, gently scrub the scalp with a soft-bristle brush, such as a toothbrush, to remove the scales then wash the scalp, rinse well and gently towel dry.
Although many of these issues are common in newborns, you should contact your child’s pediatrician or primary care physician if:
• A rash or lesion affects the eyes.
• Blue, red or purple dots appear in the affected area.
• The lesion is crusty, blistering or oozing.
• A rash is accompanied by a fever, dizziness, shortness of breath, vomiting or a stiff neck.
• A rash is accompanied by any other troubling symptoms.
To learn more about rashes or newborn skin conditions, please see your primary care physician. To find a pediatrician or primary care physician, please call 317-880-8687. All Eskenazi Health Center locations have a sliding fee schedule and are open to all regardless of ability to pay.
Nydia Nuñez-Estrada, M.D.
Family Medicine
Eskenazi Health Center North Arlington