What it is
Newborn skin does a lot. Baby acne: red bumps on the cheeks from two to four weeks. Milia: tiny white dots on the nose. Cradle cap: greasy yellow scales on the scalp. Heat rash: fine red pimples in the folds when the baby is too warm. Diaper rash: red skin from wet and poop. Eczema: dry, itchy patches on the cheeks and outer arms, often from two to six months, in about 1 in 5 babies.
What's typical
Baby acne peaks around a month and is gone by four months. Milia fade within weeks. Cradle cap can hang on for months. Diaper rash often improves in two to three days with air and a barrier cream. Eczema comes and goes.
What's known
The AAP and the American Academy of Dermatology call all of these normal. A bright red diaper rash with small outlying spots is often yeast; your pediatrician will know it on sight. Some eczema needs a prescription cream. Ask.
What helps
- Plain water and a soft cloth for the face. No scrubbing, no acne products.
- Air time, a thick barrier layer, and a change as soon as it is wet.
- Fragrance-free moisturizer on damp skin after baths, for dry or eczema-prone skin.
When to call someone
- Nowpurple spots that do not fade under a pressed glass, any rash with a fever under three months, or blisters.
- Todaya rash that oozes or crusts yellow, a diaper rash that is raw or not better in three days.
- At your next visitthick cradle cap, dry patches, or any rash you want named.
Who helps
Tools: Postpartum Prep Checklist
Related
- Bathing a newbornBaby Basics
- Dairy and other sensitivities in a breastfed babyFeeding Your Baby
- Fever in a newborn is an emergencyBaby Basics
- Thrush and other nipple infectionsPostpartum: Your Body
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Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org — Baby birthmarks and rashes
- American Academy of Dermatology — Eczema in babies and how to care for it
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