If Your Baby has spots on his face, and you wonder "could those possibly be pimples?," the answer is: yes. Babies can have acne. It isn't often dangerous, and so isn't cause for alarm, but knowing what causes it can be helpful.
The condition is called acne vulgaris, and is caused by sebaceous glands producing too much oil. The excessive oil causes overproduction of bacteria, and this oil and bacteria mix can be trapped in hair follicles. This causes acne.
Another likely contributor to baby acne is hormones. Hormones are passed from mother to baby at birth. As a result new babies have elevated hormone levels, which prompts the sebaceous glands into overproduction.
When a baby is upset, or when his or her skin is irritated by soaps or clothes or washcloths laundered with irritating soaps, acne can get worse. Allowing milk to sit on the skin can also cause a breakout. Try to keep the face clean, and use gentle products whenever possible.
Baby acne is more common in boys than girls, and generally crops up somewhere between 4 weeks and 4 months of age. You may see the pimples on the face - chin, forehead, cheeks - or on the back.
Baby acne is only one skin disorder found in infancy. Don't assume all breakouts are baby acne! It is often a good idea to have a new skin issue checked out by a doctor, to get a reliable diagnosis.
Other babies can have little bumps on their skin that are not acne or a sign of other irritation. Some babies just have bumps from birth. Expect that these bumps should fade in a few weeks.
Another possibility is that your baby may have eczema. Eczema is treatable, your doctor can diagnose this or other irritation or allergy and tell you how best to manage the condition.
Aside from pareting advice, the author also regularly blogs about bumper repairs and dent remover.
