My son is 2wks old & has a rash on his forehead & cheeks..is this common!
Question:
My son is 2wks old & has a rash on his forehead & cheeks..is this common!? & if so--how should i treat it?
i've tried mild lotions/baby-oil...
Answers:
If you are really worried, you should bring him to your pediatrician, however, since it is July 4th, and the offices aren't opened, you can probably just call the office's call center and have the doctor discuss it with you over the phone. That said, I bet this is one of three things:
a) infant acne - a common and self-resolving rash of newborns in the first couple months of life. It looks like very little yellow pimples.
b) erythema toxicum - also a common and harmless rash of newborns which goes away in the first month or so. This looks like a bunch of tiny flea bites with a raised center and a slightly red circle around that or
c) cradle cap - a term which describes a scaly yellow rash on an infant's head or face that goes away in a few months as well.
It could be milia - also a totally normal rash which usually looks like little white dots all over the face, but that doesn't usually freak moms out, so I bet it isn't that.
Either way, most of the time there is nothing that needs to be done for any of these rashes. Infact, it is probably better to just leave them alone and not put any oils or soap on them as that may just make it worse. If none of those descriptions are exactly what you are seeing or if this persists, and is red or irritated appearing, see your pediatrician about it as it could signal an infection (impetigo) or infant eczema. I probably wouldn't worry much though. Newborn babies have a false reputation for beautiful skin, but the truth is that their skin is often terrible and gets prettier as they get used to the outside environment (outside the uterus, that is).