Rashes or small bumps on a baby's face usually aren't signs of a serious problem. Causes range from prickly heat to a type of infant acne. Unlike the adult versions of these conditions, treatment with lotions is generally not advisable. However, if any skin bumps on your baby last longer than six weeks, or if they're accompanied by symptoms such as fever or listlessness, contact a doctor right away.
Baby Acne
Some babies develop a form of acne that appears as little white or red bumps over the cheeks, forehead and the chin. This occurs while your baby's skin gets used to hormonal changes and produces excess oil. In most cases, baby acne disappears after 3 to 6 weeks. Clean your baby's face with fresh water to help unblock pores. Don't use adult acne lotions or even standard soap, both of which may dry out skin or cause irritation. Never try to squeeze any whiteheads that appear. This could scar your baby's face or cause pain.
Heat Rash
Babies aren't able to sweat normally. Heat rash, or prickly heat, occurs in hot, sticky conditions in which your baby's sweat glands become clogged. This leads to a build-up of sweat under the skin. Often, this causes little bumps on a baby's face. Keeping a room cool and shaded helps to reduce the symptoms. Similarly, clothing your baby in lighter items helps keep her body temperature cooler. In very hot conditions, try giving your baby short cool baths every few hours.
Milia
Milia look like clear or faint white bumps over the cheeks and nose. It may look similar to baby acne or heat rash. However, milia are simply skin pores temporarily blocked as a baby's body grows and adjusts. Squeezing milia does nothing to help the condition; it simply damages facial skin. Milia present no real health risk and generally go away without treatment.
Erythema toxicum
Erythema toxicum is a rash that can look quite unpleasant; it appears within the first week after birth. It causes red marks on a baby's face with a whitehead-like raised bump at the center. It also tends to cause blotches elsewhere on a baby's body. However, this is a very common condition -- appearing in up to half of all newborn babies, according to MedlinePlus. Usually, Erythema toxicum disappears without treatment after two weeks of age. Though it looks contagious, the rash doesn't spread through contact and the exact cause is unknown.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Your Baby's First Few Weeks -- Bathing; 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Rash - Child Under 2 Years - Overview; March 2009
- Upstate Medical University; Rashes in Infants; 2008
- MedlinePlus; Rash - Child Under 2 Years; Neil K. Kaneshiro, M.D., M.H.A.,; January 2011
