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 Infant
Acne
When
we think of babies we usually picture a pink, glowing little face that
radiates general cuteness. We rarely associate pimples to a
baby’s countenance. However, many babies have infant acne
that usually appears when the little one is between three and four
weeks old and the unfortunate condition is also common in newborns.
Many new parents are a little dismayed by the little red bumps on their
baby’s precious little puss but infant acne is temporary and
usually does not need to be treated at all. Even though the infant acne
does not typically need to be treated, it does not typically disappear
completely all at once. Parents can expect to see little bumps
appearing off and on during the baby’s first six months of
life.
When my daughter was about three months old, she broke out in a pretty
significant case of infant acne. Her adorable little face was covered
in little red bumps and speckled with whiteheads. The condition was the
source of some stress for me, so I asked her doctor about infant acne.
The pediatrician was very helpful and very diligent about explaining
the skin condition to me. I was surprised to find out that the baby
still had some hormones in her system that passed through the placenta
while I was carrying her. The infant acne is evidence of the hormones
and it is also evidence that the baby is working the unnecessary
hormones out of her system.
The baby’s skin is going through what the pediatrician called
an “awakening” that occurs as the baby’s
system cleanses itself of unwanted elements. Sometimes the unwanted
elements emerge in the form of infant acne. The skin’s
awakening is just a natural process that just about every baby goes
through. There is really nothing we can do to stop infant acne.
There is no way to really treat it, either. In fact, parents often make
the condition worse by washing the baby’s face too much. This
can actually make infant acne inflamed. Other things that factor into
the baby breakouts include detergents, milk and spit-up. Even the
baby’s favorite blanket can contribute to infant acne.
This may seem a little disheartening, especially for parents who are
attached to a camera at all times waiting for that special moment that
desperately needs to be captured on film for all eternity. During the
first six months, parents can expect to capture infant acne along with
the precious smile. Not to worry, though. The smile will make the
insignificant little bumps seem to disappear.
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