Your infant's face rash may disturb you as a parent--you want your baby's beautiful face to remain clear and unmarred. In most cases, face rashes in babies are short-lived and resolve themselves without treatment. Rashes are common but do not all look alike. Familiarize yourself with the different types of infant's face rashes to calm your fears, and call your child's doctor with any concerns.
Hormones
Your newborn's face rash is likely the result of maternal hormones that remain in the baby's system after birth. Just like in adults, hormonal imbalance sometimes causes acne. An acne-like rash in infants is called milia, and is a series of small white or flesh-colored bumps on your baby's face. Milia clears on its own without any treatment required.
Irritation
Irritation of several kinds contribute to an infant's face rash. The constant drooling associated with teething is benign, but may lead to irritation and chapping of the skin around your baby's chin and cheeks. Keeping your child's face dry and clean minimizes symptoms. Eczema is another type of facial rash common in infants and small children. Eczema, a rash of dry, reddened and flaky skin, can be the result of irritation from laundry products or allergies to food or other substances with which your baby has had contact.
Heat
Heat rash, also called prickly heat, more commonly affects the trunk of a baby or young child, but on occasion may appear on the face and neck as well. Heat rash looks like small red pimples, and is the result of a blockage of your infant's hair follicles. Sweat and dirt can cause the blockages. Keep your baby cool with lightweight layers of cotton clothing to prevent heat rash.
Virus
A number of viruses cause a facial rash in infants, including fifth disease, roseola and chicken pox. Most children are vaccinated against chicken pox around their first birthday, but some parents choose not to inoculate their children, or an infant could contract the disease before the age of 1 year. A chicken pox rash is not restricted to the face but can cover the baby's body. The rash appears as individual red bumps that later blister and form crusts. Viral illnesses that cannot be prevented and that are common in infants and young children are roseola and fifth disease. Fifth disease manifests itself as a bright red rash on your infant's cheeks. The rash can cover your child's torso, arms and legs in a lacy design. Fifth disease symptoms include a runny nose, coughing and sometimes a fever. Roseola is most common in babies older than 6 months and begins as a high fever that spikes 103 degrees Fahrenheit or even higher. The fever can last for several days; the facial rash does not appear until the fever has broken. A roseola rash is flat, pink or red in color and appears on your child' face as well as on her trunk and limbs.
