baby acne

[NH mom]

Charlie is just over 5 wks now and is covered in baby acne. I don't remember it being this bad with my other kids, but it is all over his adorable little face , in his hair, on his ears, and even going down on to his shoulders! (though it's not so bad on his neck and shoulders as on his face and scalp)

Anyone else? Could it be something else? He's had it for just over a week now, and sometimes it seems like it's getting better, and other times it looks worse.

Please remind me that this goes away and I'll have my sweet little soft-skinned baby back.

(PS--sorry if this was already addressed in the weekly thread (was it?) I have trouble keeping up in there, though I always love to try...)

[ivymae]

Normal, but i always am caught off guard by it as well. All my kids have had it, and when I called our pediatrician the other day about it (it was getting weepy, and I wanted to ask when I should worry) he reminded me that i called about the same thing with DD2. Yay for having a patient MD who remembers our family.

Treat it like teenage acne - keep it clean, don't scrub it, and be patient. It will fade, and they will be cute again. Watch for swelling around a sore, lethargy and fever (signs that something else is going on) but it's really rare that it's anything other than zits.

Edited to add a picture: it's worst if she is hot or had been crying: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivymae/4575291216/

[ann_of_loxley]

Apparently putting breastmilk on it is good for it. Who knows though! - My DS had this as well - and Hamish has it now too!

[Knitting Mama]

I was coming in to say what Ann said--put breast milk on it! And definitely resist the urge to wash often and NEVER scrub; poor delicate baby skin will just get worse!

[LenaC]

Yes, my poor two week old baby has it. It probably bothers me more than it bothers him

[finn'smama]

Yup, Henry has it, but just on his cheeks. He's almost 4 wks old. I just leave it completely alone.

[Peace+Hope]

my charlie's (hi other charlie!) looks like whiteheads more than the red rash on ivy's becky. it does show up more when he's hot or crying.

his is on his cheeks and in his case (partly b/c i kept other patches at bay), i'm pretty sure it was from excessive cheek kissing and rubbing without any cleaning.

i alternate breast milk and gently wiping it w/ cloth wipes (which have a very weak solution of tea tree oil and soap diluted in water on them). it is clearing up.

his scalp is dandruff-y, but i read in my smart medicine, healthier child that rubbing it briskly and firmly with a cloth is ok to keep more dryness and cradle cap away.

no soap on my baby yet, other than what is in the wipes...

[rhiOrion]

I think the white bumps are called Milia. I'm not sure how they're different than baby acne... if it was on my face I'd call it all acne!

L came out with a fair amount of milia. She is starting to get a few more zit-like things, now.

I need to hurry and get pictures for the birth announcements before she's covered in zits!

[ivymae]

Originally Posted by Peace+Hope

my charlie's (hi other charlie!) looks like whiteheads more than the red rash on ivy's becky.

Becky has the whiteheads as well, but the red is just really predominant on our skin. She has her mama's Irish skin, which may as well be see-through.

[Peace+Hope]

Originally Posted by ivymae

Becky has the whiteheads as well, but the red is just really predominant on our skin. She has her mama's Irish skin, which may as well be see-through.

i know what you mean - my grandmother's skin would bleed it was so thin, IF someone happened to pick at it in church ... and that was when i was a kid and she was in her 70s!


thanks, rhi, i'll have to look that up. btw, if you guys are planning a trip this way, pm me dates asap. would really likke to meet you.

[crazyeight]

R doesn't have the red acne at all. He has white spots but I am thinking they AREN"T acne. They feel and look like the little cysts that i've had before on my face but i only had 2/3 at a time and he has like 7. also they are around his eyes like mine were. Something about the oil glands in the eye or something and backing it up? I'm not sure whether to leave them alone or talk to the doc about them. They aren't painful and aren't close enough to his eyes to cause vision problems but i want them GONE!

[Knitting Mama]

That's probably just milia, Danielle. Cecilia's gt it on her nose but now, a month out, she has less than half of what she had at birth. They go away on their own.

[Peace+Hope]

Originally Posted by dhinderliter

R doesn't have the red acne at all. He has white spots but I am thinking they AREN"T acne. They feel and look like the little cysts that i've had before on my face but i only had 2/3 at a time and he has like 7. also they are around his eyes like mine were. Something about the oil glands in the eye or something and backing it up? I'm not sure whether to leave them alone or talk to the doc about them. They aren't painful and aren't close enough to his eyes to cause vision problems but i want them GONE!

thats what charlie has. i put breast milk on them multiple times a day and wipe them gently once a day with a cloth wipe with my wipe solution on it. seems to encourage them to dry up faster - we had another crop in a different spot that went away in less than a week. a friend of mines' baby had them for almost 3 months, and she never touched them...

[sew_crafty_girl]

Annna's had some milia since birth. One on her cheek and a couple on her head. The big kids and I get them too.