Common Baby Skin Conditions

When Should My Baby See a Doctor?

There is nothing quite like the soft skin of a baby. Unlike adults, the brand-new skin of a baby has not been affected by the damaging rays of the sun or environmental factors. Although the skin of a baby is soft and supple, it is not necessarily blemish-free. Babies often have rashes and blemishes that are quite common. Many of these skin conditions do not require special care and eventually correct themselves, but some do require special treatment.

Erythema Toxicum

This skin condition sounds rather serious, but it commonly affects up to 50% of all newborn babies. This skin condition is characterized by red flat blotches that appear on the trunk and face of newborns, generally before they are five days old, and it does not require any special treatment. These harmless blotches usually disappear on their own within seven days.

Newborn Acne

Babies often develop a harmless case of acne on their nose, forehead, chin, and cheeks. This common skin condition is called acne neonatorium. It appears in newborn babies most often by the second and fourth weeks after birth. These mild cases of newborn acne are caused by hormones passing from mother to child.

Tiny white spots commonly seen on the nostrils of a newborn baby occur due to excessive oil in the skin. This harmless skin condition is called sebaceous gland hyperplasia. This excess of oil is also a result of hormones. The skin cells sometimes gather and form small white bumps. The bumps sometimes rupture, thus releasing the accumulated skin cells, and they ultimately disappear without treatment before the baby reaches his first birthday.

Heat Rash