Cradle Cap
Your baby may develop a yellowish scaly crust on her/her scalp, eyebrows, ears, and/or face. When it happens on the scalp, it’s called cradle cap and when it happens elsewhere, it’s called seborrheic dermatitis. It is not infectious, is usually asymptomatic, and is mostly a cosmetic problem. It will resolve on its own over a few weeks to months.
For cradle cap, you may try to use a brush or comb to lift the scale after you have shampooed the head. If it is sever, we may recommend that you use an anti-dandruff shampoo such as Head and Shoulders or Selsun Blue. Treatment is not necessary and this will resolve with time.
Acne
You may notice small red bumps on your baby’s face around 4-6 weeks of age. Believe it or not, your infant has acne due to the passage of maternal hormones before birth. However, no treatment is necessary and it will resolve on its own by 4-6 months of age.
Drooling Rash
You may see red bumps on the chin or cheeks where the skin comes into contact with drool or spit up. Try to clean the areas with a washcloth after the baby spits up. You may apply Vaseline to provide a barrier but the rash will resolve on its own.
Erythema Toxicum
On the 2nd to 3rd day of life, you may note small pustules (looks like tiny pimples or bites) on a red base all over your baby’s body. These will resolve in about a week or so. This rash is very common is newborns and again, is not contagious.
Heat Rash
You may note small red bumps in areas where your baby has folds, such as the neck and chin areas. This is usually due to moisture that can get trapped between the folds. Try to position your baby in ways such that different parts of the neck are able to be exposed. Again, you may also apply Vaseline or even diaper ointment to provide a barrier in between the folds of skin. This rash is not dangerous and will resolve on its own.
Milia
You may see tiny white bumps on your baby’s nose and cheeks. These are due to clogged pores and will clear on their own by 2 months of age. Do not try to “pop” them as this can lead to scarring.
Mongolian Spots
This is usually seen in dark skinned babies. You may see dark blue/gray birthmarks that can resemble bruises on the buttocks or back of your baby. They usually fade by 3 years of age but may persist in adulthood.
Stork Bites
These are pink birthmarks commonly seen on the forehead, eyelids, or the back of the neck. You may see them get darker when your baby is crying or angry. They will usually fade with time but may persist into adulthood.
As you can see, the common theme of many newborns rashes are that they resolve on their own. Most babies have rashes at one point or another so don’t worry if your baby doesn’t have perfect skin!