Being a mother of a child with sensitive skin, I often find myself wondering about the rashes my son will sometimes have. There is nothing worse than the feeling of helplessness that you can feel when you do not know what is wrong with your child. For a mother's peace of mind, here are some of the most common skin rashes:
Baby Acne - This is due to the mother's hormones and looks like pimples. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for this, and you just need to wait it out. Baby acne can last for a couple days up to a couple months.
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Erythema toxicum - This rash looks like mosquito bites. This is another rash that has no treatment. The causes for this rash are unknown.
Little White Bumps - These are caused by blocked oil glands. When the glands enlarge (which can take a few days up to a few weeks), the white bumps will disappear.
Salmon patches - These are sometimes called stork bites or angel kisses. They are often found at the back of the neck or even sometimes between the eyes. They tend to fade away on their own after a few weeks or months.
Mongolian spots - These are common in dark-skinned babies. They almost look like a bruise and are flat. They are caused by some pigment that didn't make it to the top layer when baby's skin was being formed. These harmless spots usually fade away by school age.
Cradle cap - This shows up usually at1-2 months of age. Yellowish crusts appear on the scalp and can also include a red, irritating rash on the face, behind the ears, on the neck, and even in the armpits. Depending on your baby's symptoms, your doctor can direct you how to proceed.
Eczema - This is red, itchy patches on the skin. You often will see it on your baby's chest, arms, legs, face, elbows, and behind the knees. It is caused by dry, sensitive skin, and sometimes even allergies. Your doctor can determine if the rash looks like eczema and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Prickly heat - This looks like small red bumps and will show up on areas of your baby's body that tend to overheat and sweat like the neck, diaper area, and armpits. The treatment is to try to keep the area dry and avoid overheating.
Candidiasis - This is a fungal infection and can show up in different ways. It is called thrush when it is on the tongue and looks like dried milk that can't be scraped off. In the diaper area, it looks like an intense red rash. Candidiasis can be treated with antifungal oral gel, liquid medicine, or antifungal cream (or a combination of all three).
Sometimes, your baby's rash isn't caused by any of these (though, these are the most common reasons for a rash). If your child has sensitive skin (like my son has), sometimes the changes you have to make have to do with the fabrics that touch your child's skin. All diapers are not created equal and not all fabrics will affect your child's skin the same. My own doctor recommended when we were having breakouts that we find the softest material we could find and put him in that. That is when fabrics like bamboo come into play. It is hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, and has natural wicking abilities that make it super absorbent. It also has no chlorine, no formaldehyde, and is pesticide free.
Parenting is a tough job. Sometimes it is hard to know what is normal and what is not when it comes to rashes. This is a list of the most common baby rashes you may encounter and how to treat them.
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