What is acne in newborn babies?
Acne in newborn babies is not rare. The official name for this form is “neonatal cephalic pustulosis”; doctors usually call it neonatal acne informally. Neonatal acne is harmless, has no connection with other conditions, and always resolves by itself within a few weeks.
What does neonatal acne look like?
The spots on the face usually begin in the 2nd or 3rd week of the baby’s life. The spots arise mainly on the cheeks, but can also occur on the forehead, chin, eyelids, scalp, chest and neck. Unlike ordinary acne, there are no blackheads in neonatal acne.
What causes it?
It is not entirely clear what causes neonatal acne. Recent research suggests that common yeasts on the skin play a role in the development of the spots. These yeasts are of the Pityrosporum (Malassezia) family, which also plays a role in, for example, seborrhoeic eczema and dandruff.
Treatment of neonatal acne
Neonatal acne disappears spontaneously, usually within a few weeks to at most a few months, so treatment is not necessary. Because a yeast infection is suspected to play a role, a treatment with an anti-yeast cream is sometimes used, but whether such a cream actually leads to faster healing is unclear.
When to see a doctor
Neonatal acne is harmless and clears on its own. See your GP or child health clinic if you are unsure whether the spots are neonatal acne or another rash, if they are widespread, worsening or persisting beyond a few months, or if the baby seems unwell, so that the diagnosis can be confirmed.