Neonatal acne, also referred to as acne neonatorum, in an infant or newborn baby can be a concern for many first time parents. Neonatal acne is a common condition that affects nearly 20% of all newborn babies. While the initial onset of the baby pimples can be alarming, they are actually quite harmless, and disappear in a matter of weeks.
Neonatal acne can occur when the baby’s sebaceous glands are stimulated by the mother’s hormones after birth. The sebaceous glands are glands found most commonly in the face and scalp, and help lubricate skin. In regards to baby acne, the mother’s hormones, which are delivered via the placenta prior to delivery, cause the sebaceous glands to form tiny bumps, resembling pimples after birth.
Onset of Neonatal Acne
The onset of neonatal acne usually happens around 3 weeks of age, but can occur earlier, even immediately after birth. The appearance can either be red tiny bumps, or in the form of whiteheads. Baby acne is most commonly found on the infant’s face, but can be seen on other skin areas as well.
Often, parents worry that they will need some form of medication to treat the baby acne. This is simply not the case. The acne will resolve itself over a matter of weeks, and very rarely do they require any medication. Parents can help the condition by gently cleaning their baby’s skin once or twice a day with warm water and a mild soap. It is not recommended to use any oils or lotions.
There is no known correlation between neonatal acne and a family history of acne. Likewise, having baby acne as an infant does not mean that the child will have acne problems later on in life.
Always check with you pediatrician in regards to any medical advice about neonatal acne. Online resources, such as this one, should be treated as informational and educational, but never as medical advice. Take the knowledge you learn online and use that as a tool to help ask your pediatrician educated questions in regards to neonatal acne.
