Neonatal acne: what it is and how to behave
When we think of a newborn's face, the first image that comes to mind is that of two beautiful round cheeks, smooth as silk. An enviable skin, the very one to which we adults aspire so much! Yet, this is not always the case. Infants, in fact, from the first year of life, can be subject to a phenomenon called "neonatal acne", a skin manifestation that can develop on the skin of the face and beyond. Let's find out what it is before running to the pediatrician.
How to recognize neonatal acne
Neonatal acne usually occurs in the first weeks of a baby's life with red pimples on the nose, cheeks and forehead, which can sometimes also spread to other parts of the body.
Newborn pimples: causes and remedies of neonatal acne
The baby's skin may appear reddish, and if it is itchy, you may notice the baby rubbing its face against the body of the person holding it or against the bed when placed on its stomach. The rash may vary throughout the day, increasing with the baby's crying, nervousness, or warmth.
In general, neonatal acne should not be a nuisance for the newborn, but if aggravated by other factors such as irritation caused by saliva or regurgitation or clothes washed with aggressive detergents, it can worsen by creating or increasing itching.
But it is a completely normal phenomenon, of a benign nature and which tends to resolve itself within a few weeks even if - in some cases - it can manifest itself for several months and subsequently disappear.
Neonatal acne: does milk cause it?
If you think your little one is experiencing neonatal acne in the first few months of life, you may be wondering what causes it. Will it depend on the infant's artificial feeding? Or from the mother's diet in case of breastfeeding? The answer in both cases is no.
It is unclear exactly what causes baby acne, some researchers believe it is caused by:
- a "hyperactivity of the sebaceous glands;
- a buildup of residual maternal hormones in the baby's blood;
- an overproduction of testosterone by the infant itself.
In short, the causes of neonatal acne can be different, but they are in no case related to the infant's nutrition.
Neonatal acne and breastfeeding
Breastfed babies may suffer from neonatal acne for longer than bottle-fed babies. This is because, as explained in the cases, the mother, with her nourishment, transmits to her baby the estrogens that pass through the milk. Despite this, breastfeeding is always highly recommended by all experts.
And remember: it doesn't matter what mom eats, it's just a matter of hormones.
Childhood acne: remedies
Generally, the phenomenon resolves on its own without interventions within a few weeks, or at the latest a few months. Here are some tips from the American academy of dermatology:
- Do not apply any medications, creams or specific treatments for acne (unless the pediatrician prescribes a special ointment for the treatment of aggressive neonatal acne, which causes the baby to itch);
- Treat your newborn's skin with delicacy: do not apply scrubs and do not make any kind of squeezing of the pimples;
- Always wash the skin of the face and body with warm water;
- Avoid fatty and / or aggressive products;
- Avoid relying on any site that offers you a do-it-yourself solution;
- Avoid applying oils that could clog skin pores;
- Do not use synthetic material in contact with the skin.
- Stay outdoors with your baby, avoiding direct exposure to the sun.
- In case of sun exposure, apply the sunscreen, without exaggerating.
In general, it is good to always follow some hygiene rules for the little ones, to take care of our puppies.
10 important rules for the hygiene of the little ones
My baby has acne: will this also manifest itself in adolescence?
Acne is an enemy that many of us know and it is important to know how to fight it. Many mothers, following the manifestation of this phenomenon, perhaps after having documented themselves on some site, wonder if their child will be more likely to suffer from acne or dermatitis in adulthood. The answer, again, is reassuring. In fact, there is no correlation between childhood acne and adolescent pimples, so a child who suffered from it at birth will not necessarily suffer from it during the age of development .
Difference between neonatal acne and atopic dermatitis
Another major concern of mothers, when the baby has an acne tendency at a few weeks of age, is that the baby is suffering from eczema (or atopic dermatitis), a fairly common chronic inflammatory skin disease.
So let's see some similarities and differences between these two baby skin conditions:
- Atopic dermatitis generally appears later than newborn acne, ie starting from five or six months of age.
- Atopic dermatitis manifests itself as red, moist, rounded patches focused on the cheeks and outer parts of the arms and legs, neonatal acne typically affects the central part of the face.
- Neonatal acne is irregular and does not itch, dermatitis can be recognized by the presence of rough patches, slightly raised to the touch.
- Dermatitis improves with a greasy moisturizer, acne gets worse.
- Neonatal acne generally resolves on its own after a few months, dermatitis requires specific, often prolonged treatment.
In conclusion, neonatal acne is a rather common phenomenon, which affects approximately one in five children, which develops around the two weeks of the child's life and which tends to disappear on its own over time. It has not yet been definitively clarified what causes the onset, but we know for sure that nutrition is in no way connected to this manifestation. Some good rules to keep in mind are: keep baby's skin clean and treat it gently; avoid contact with synthetic clothing, do not apply acne treatment creams or scrubs.
And remember: neonatal acne often resolves within three or four months, but if this does not happen or if the situation changes, a pediatric / dermatological visit would become a must!
