Oh Baby - Part 1

Smooth as a baby's bottom! We all want our skin to be just like a baby's, right? From time to time, though, babies have skin irritation too. Generally a baby's skin is very delicate and soft, but there's nothing like cradle crap, diaper rash or excema to make your perfect baby just a bit imperfect.

So how do you diagnose and treat baby skin problems?

Diaper rash: Diaper rash is generally caused by a too tight diaper, an allergy to a particular diaper brand, or a wet or dirty diaper left on too long. Treatment for a mild diaper rash can include leaving the diaper area open to the air (but please protect your floors and furniture!), changing your baby as soon as s/he is wet or dirty, and applying a gentle diaper rash cream. I prefer the Desitin brand as do my babies. If the rash is more serious than mild and lasts for more than a couple of days, please check with your pediatrician: there are some forms of diaper rash that require prescription creams. Before my twins were about six months old, I had NO IDEA that babies can get yeast infections!

Baby acne: Baby acne starts in the womb! It is caused by the mother's hormones. Mom's hormones boost oil production, clogging baby's pores. Acne on a baby is usually at its height right at birth and clears by itself within a few weeks. Every baby I've known with baby acne has a case at birth and is fine by a month old. There is no reason for any treatment- no adult acne medication or cream will be sensitive enough for baby's delicate skin. Just leave it alone.

Birthmarks: Birthmarks are not inherited and can be present at birth or show up weeks or months later. Generally there is no reason to treat a birthmark as they cause no harm. If the birthmark is large or colorful, however, a minor procedure can be elected. I was born with a purple birthmark under my nose. Even though I've had nose surgery in the past, I opted to keep my birthmark- it gives my face character! My son has a very large hemangioma on his back- it's a red color and raised. At this point, he's a toddler and I don't see the need to remove it but perhaps in the future he'll want it removed for aesthetic purposes. We'll discuss it at the "mom, the guys in gym class made fun of me" years.

Next article, we'll discuss eczema, cradle cap, suncare, and when to call the pediatrician..... but for now I'll leave you with a tip about powder. Babies can inhale the very fine grains of talcum powder. This can cause many lung problems. So please avoid using talcum powder. A safer option would be corn starch based powder. However, yeast feeds on corn starch and yeast can cause diaper rash. In general it's best to skip baby powder.