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Caution: Bumps Ahead!
A Guide to Baby's (Not So) Picture-perfect Skin
By Lisa Hurt Kozarovich
Dermatology lesson No. 1 for new parents might be: Forget the ads that show babies with picture-perfect skin.
The reality is there are dozens of different skin conditions that can affect newborns, and most babies will experience at least one during their first few months, says Dr. Denise Metry, a pediatric dermatologist at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas.
"First, we want parents to understand they can pretty much expect some kind of rash. Second, we tell them that most are harmless and disappear on their own without any treatment," Dr. Metry says.
Among the earliest rashes parents can expect to see – either at birth or within two to three days – are pustular melanosis and erythema toxicum. "These rashes have horrible names that frighten parents, but both of them are very common, completely benign and require no treatment," says Dr. Denise Salerno, a pediatrician at Temple Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, Penn.
Pustular melanosis, which can occur anywhere on the body, consists of small, puss-filled bumps that break open and leave a flat, brownish spot. Erythema toxicum amounts to red, blotchy bumps with a white or yellow center often found on the chest and abdomen. Both usually show up when the baby is a couple of days old and clear up within two weeks, leaving no permanent scars, Dr. Salerno says.
Other common skin conditions that occur in those early months are:
- Milia: Pearly white bumps or cysts, often present at birth, on the baby's forehead, cheeks and nose. The rash usually clears up within two months.
- Sebaceous hyperplasia (neonatal acne): Ranges from tiny whiteheads to red, inflamed bumps usually found on the baby's cheeks, forehead, nose and upper lip. This is usually seen within the first couple of weeks and then begins to disappear over the next three or four months. It can take longer to disappear in breastfed babies.
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