Newborn babies are just as susceptible to the appearance of acne as anyone else. Parents are often seeking out what sort of baby acne treatment options are available.  While the formation of acne is studied and more understood in adolescents, the reason behind the formation of acne in newborns and infants remains largely a mystery. Acne forms through a pore on the skin becoming clogged and infected. This occurs when skin oil builds up and gathers various skin waste products, such as dead or dying skin cells, and blocks the opening of the skin’s pores. The blockage eventually begins to decompose, resulting in inflamed tissue as the body responds with antibodies to deal with the infection. The resulting skin bumps and lesions take on the familiar raised red mound appearance of acne.

Acne is far more prevalent in adolescents and teenagers as the hormonal changes of puberty often cause the skin to become more oily, resulting in a greater likelihood of blocked pores, or causes the pores of the skin to contract, again resulting in a greater likelihood of a blockage. Nevertheless, newborns and infants can still be affected by acne despite their young age.

The most hypothesized cause behind baby acne is that hormones from the mother are passed on to the child shortly before birth. These hormones in turn promote the formation of acne. Why this occurs is not clearly understood as the mechanisms of acne formation often encompasses other factors beyond oily skin, such as genetic disposition, hormonal inputs and levels of stress. Another cause thought to encourage the formation of baby acne is the various prenatal medications pregnant women consume. These growth promoting and health ensuring compounds present in prenatal vitamins and other products is thought to encourage the appearance of acne in newborns and infants but, again, the reasons for this are still unclear.

Baby acne most often forms on the back, cheeks and shoulders of newborns and infants. Baby acne is very similar in appearance to traditional acne but often can appear more red or irritated especially if the child is hot, fussy or his or her skin has been irritated by saliva, spit up or harsh detergents.

A condition called milia can mimic the signs of acne. Milia is the presence of red bumps on the baby’s scalp and forehead that look like acne. However, milia disappears within several weeks after birth and is not a cause for concern. Should your new baby’s acne appear more rashy or scaly and does not clear up this may be a sign of eczema or cradle cap, both of which are common skin irritations for babies that can be addressed by consulting a doctor.

Baby acne treatment is generally not advised due to the sensitive nature of an infant’s skin and that baby acne is only a cosmetic problem. Applying pimple cream or cleansing wipes to an infant will often due far more harm than good, such as causing rashes, irritation and dry skin. Washing your child’s skin to rid him or her of acne is also not advised because this too can irritate or damage an infant’s sensitive skin. The best course of action for treating baby acne is to be patient, watchful and to let the acne clear up on its own. Consult a doctor should baby acne linger for too long as this may indicate a lingering skin condition.