Dr. Komarovsky about acne in newborns

The baby is born, but contrary to the conventional wisdom that his skin should be soft and clean, whitish or yellowish pimples - acne - to the horror of moms and dads with little parental experience. They can be single and multiple, covering a fairly large area of ​​the forehead or cheeks. With the question of who is to blame and what to do now with these eruptions, parents often turn to the famous pediatrician of the highest category, Yevgeny Komarovsky.

Newborn acne (neonatal cephalic pustules) is not uncommon. It occurs in about 30% of all newborn noodles. White or yellow acne appears in crumbs in the forehead, around the nose, on the cheeks, on the chin, in the scalp. These are the most common acne dislocation sites.

Much less often rash can be observed from the area of ​​the ears and neck. Yevgeny Komarovsky calms down - this acne rash is often physiological in nature, and does not require any special treatment.

The fact is that the child is influenced by the residual hormones of the mother, which was natural for him during his nine months in the tummy. The “instigator” of pimples in this case is the hormone estrogen, which is produced in large quantities in the maternal organism in the last trimester of pregnancy and during labor. It allows the baby to gain subcutaneous fat, and also contributes to the appearance of acne.

Most often, such a rash is either present at birth, or appears in the first six months of the child’s independent life after birth. There is a fairly common opinion among pediatricians that infant acne is a way for baby skin to best adapt to a rather aggressive environment in which there are a lot of bacteria, fungi and other pathogens.

Attentive parents, according to Komarovsky, are quite capable of finding out for themselves what exactly jumped on the baby’s skin - neonatal pimples or rashes during allergies. With a food or other allergic reaction, the rash will be all over the body, with acne in newborns - only on the face.

And now Dr. Komarovsky himself will tell us what child acne is and how this disease is explained about the rules for proper skin care.

Acne in children can be in the form of papules (reddish seals), comedones (whitish, as if "closed" rash) or pustules (reddish seals with a light top, pus). In case of an allergic rash, the rashes and places around them have a pronounced red hue, without purulent "heads", whitish tops.

Dr. Komarovsky recommends that when a rash is detected, carefully look at that part of the child’s priests, which is always hidden under the diaper. It does not contact with any allergens, and therefore if there is no rash there, then it’s not worth talking about food allergies. If it is, then it is most likely not a harmless pimple, but a real allergic reaction.

We present to your attention another interesting thematic issue of the transfer of Dr. Komarovsky.

Sometimes acne is confused with prickly heat. If a baby is re-entangled, the daily bathing is neglected, then the rash on the face will actually initially resemble acne (also called a facial bloom). It is possible to distinguish by its prevalence - the flow of the body spreads faster than acne, and, as a rule, it does not have purulent heads.

More often, acne can be confused with dermatitis. The difference can only be determined by a doctor, and therefore Komarovsky recommends that in any case, show the baby to a pediatrician.

As we have said, no special treatment for acne in a newborn is required, but there are some nuances that Evgeny Olegovich recommends to all young mothers to learn and assimilate.

• Squeezing pimples baby is strictly prohibited! Firstly, it hurts, and, secondly, pathogenic bacteria can get into the wounds and cause an inflammatory process. Then ugly scars will remain in place of such “complicated” wounds, which are no longer possible to get rid of.
• If parents use cosmetics for children, they should be marked "From the first days of life." It is not necessary to burn acne with green paint, iodine, alcohol and alcohol-containing solutions. Under the ban and ointment with antibiotics, and even the usual children's cream, because it is quite fat. You should not try to solve the problem with the help of powder, it is useless. If there are many rashes, you can use zinc ointment or “Sudokrem", They effectively" dry "pimples.
• If the acne does not go away for a long time, the rash is put on a larger scale and more and more areas of the baby’s face are covered with it, be sure to consult your doctor. Such pimples may not have a hormonal root cause, but an infectious one.
• Mothers who are breastfeeding should worry less so that stress hormone cortisol does not enter the milk. It also contributes to the appearance of skin problems in a child. In addition, nursing mothers should review their diet.
• A child with acne newborn needs sun and air baths, tempering. In the warm season, the baby with problem skin should often be exposed to air. Acceptable phytotherapy - swimming in water with the addition of chamomile decoction and succession. Chamomile baby can be washed several times a day, avoiding getting the decoction in the eyes, nose and ears.
• With the right approach, according to Evgeny Komarovsky, acne disappears without a trace on its own in a fairly short time - from several weeks to 3 months.

• If acne appears after a year, this is a very good reason to contact a pediatrician, and then an allergist and a dermatologist.
• If an appetite is lost in a child with a pronounced acne rash, the behavior is disturbed, sleep, the skin becomes dry and rough, this is also a reason to undergo a thorough examination by specialists.
• If you can not determine the origin of the rash. If it is impossible to understand whether it is allergic or physiological infant, Komarovsky advises to visit a doctor. A specialist will be able to quickly resolve all issues and give necessary recommendations.