As your baby adjusts to being out of the womb, their skin is likely to react to the environment and certain allergens making them quite prone to skin conditions. Most of these breakouts or flair ups go away on their own, but that won’t stop many mums from worrying about their little one.
Here are five of the most common ones to look out for:
Infant acne
The last thing you expect your baby to get is acne. In fact, around their second week, infants can develop little pimples and whiteheads on their face, most notably on their cheeks. It is not harmful, won’t leave scars and should be gone by the time they are six or seven months old.
Heat rash
Like adults, babies too can suffer from heat rash. The tiny red bumps and pimples usually affect the face, shoulders, neck and chest area. Caused by clogged sweat glands, it is harmless but can be quite itchy and annoying. It shouldn’t last for too long but if you allow your baby to cool down the rash should go away fairly quickly.
Contact dermatitis
This is usually caused by an allergic reaction to something they touched or that came in contact with their skin. The most common triggers are detergents, shampoos and soap although it can also be caused by citrus fruit. What happens is the outer layer of skin is damaged which results in a red, sometimes itchy, rash. It shouldn’t last for more than a few days and you should contact your GP if it doesn’t seem to be going down.
Strawberry hemangioma
Also known simply as strawberry marks, they are red bumps found on your baby and they can look a little frightening. They are, in fact, harmless microscopic blood vessels that will get bigger as your baby grows. Thankfully, they should fade by the time they are starting school. They don’t hurt but can be uncomfortable, depending on where they are on the skin. Your doctor is likely to observe it, especially if it is located on the face or is obstructing normal functioning. It will eventually fade although it can sometimes leave a slight scar.
Erythema toxicum
This rash usually develops in the first few days after the birth of your baby. It appears blotchy and red but isn’t harmful and should disappear after a few days.
