As soon as a little man is born, he begins to adapt to new living conditions for him. In the first minutes of life, the baby will have to get acquainted with the environment, adapt to new factors unknown to him before. This adaptation of the body in some cases is accompanied by a hormonal rash. Parents should know what a hormonal rash looks like in a baby. Photos of this pathology are presented in the article.
What is this?
Such a small pustular rash in the medical language is called pustulosis. There are rashes of this kind on the scalp and on the face. In some cases, the rash may spread to the back (top) and neck.
Pustulosis can appear from the moment a child is born and up to three months of a baby's life. Do not panic if such a rash occurs, because this is a natural process, the reaction of the child's body and the normalization of hormonal levels after birth. Such a rash is not contagious, as it does not have an infectious or bacterial etiology, therefore it is notdangerous to those around you. Since a hormonal rash is not a disease, but rather a special skin condition, no special treatment is required. Its occurrence is an absolutely normal physiological process.
Parents are primarily interested in when the hormonal rash on the baby's body passes. It all depends on the correctness of the treatment. But basically it is possible to get rid of it in a few days.
Reasons
The cause of this kind of rash is hormones, namely maternal hormones, which in the first days of a baby's life are trying to be released. Algorithm for the occurrence of rashes in newborns on hormonal soil:
- The sebaceous glands of a newborn are not yet adapted to proper regulation.
- Excessive sebum clogs baby's skin pores, which in turn causes inflammation.
Relationship with other factors
Pimples with hormonal pustulosis look like this: red small pimples with a white purulent top. Some babies have a skin-colored rash that is almost invisible, but bumps are visible on it. The main places for the rash to occur are the scalp and face, less often the back and neck. And also a hormonal rash can appear in one place, then another.
Such a rash does not bring any discomfort to the newborn and does not require special treatment. If the rash does not go away for up to a year, then you should contact your pediatrician about this, but in most cases the rashes go away on their own.
If, in addition to a rash, the baby has mastopathy, swelling of the genitals or spotting, reminiscent of menstruation (in girls), then you should not worry either. This is a normal process of adaptation of the infant organism, which does not require medical intervention.
Symptoms
The first symptoms of hormonal pustulosis in newborns begin from the first days of a baby's life. Such rashes are not dangerous, they can last up to six months of a child's life, while migrating from one location to another. If hormonal acne does not go away for up to a year, then you should definitely consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
How can I be sure my baby's skin rash is hormonal?
The main symptom of hormonal pustulosis is rashes on the face, scalp, and sometimes on the back and neck. The location of the pimples may vary. A hormonal rash looks like this: red small pimples with a white purulent head. In addition to rashes, infants with hormonal pustulosis may have symptoms such as:
- Both girls and boys have swollen mammary glands.
- Girls may experience menstrual-like discharge (vulvovaginitis).
- Swelling of the genitals.
When skin rashes occur, other diseases with similar symptoms should be immediately excluded. You can confuse a hormonal rash with diseases such as diathesis,sweat and allergies. If the rash does not go away after taking antihistamines, then it is safe to say that this is hormonal pustulosis.
What is it: a hormonal rash or an allergy in a baby?
The appearance of various rashes on the skin of newborns usually causes great concern to parents. This is not always a sign of illness or poor hygiene. In most cases, the cause is the action of hormones. This rash is not uncommon, affecting about 1/3 of babies. They usually appear at 3-4 weeks of age. The reason for their development is maternal hormones.
In the last stages of pregnancy, the mother has an intensive production of the female hormone - estrogen, which enters the baby's body.
After the birth, maternal hormones continue to act on the child's body for some time. They increase the production of subcutaneous fat, which, in turn, causes blockage of the sebaceous glands. This is what causes the appearance of pimples, which most often occur on the face. On the cheeks, they act less frequently. Pimples look like small formations, without any signs of redness. After a few weeks, they pass without leaving a single trace.
In order to distinguish an allergy from a hormonal rash, you need to carefully examine the child and pay attention to the distinctive features:
- Allergic rashes can affect any part of the body, while hormonal rashes usually appear on the neck and face.
- Allergic rashes usuallydo not have defined boundaries, individual elements tend to form extensive spots.
- Hormonal rash is not accompanied by redness and has a clear outline.
- Itching, runny nose and other unpleasant symptoms accompany an allergic rash.
A hormonal rash usually does not have similar manifestations and does not bring discomfort to the child.
Different from infection
The tendency to pathological hormonal changes appears in a newborn even during fetal development, when the mother's body in the 3rd trimester begins to actively produce estrogen to actively prepare for labor. After birth, a malfunction in the endocrine system does not manifest itself in any way until the 3rd week of independent life of the baby, thereby causing panic in adults.
Distinguishing a hormonal rash from an allergic reaction, and even more so an infection, is very simple - externally, acne covers only the skin of the face and neck, and the scalp. Additionally, the baby has swelling of the mammary glands, testicles and scrotum.
Other distinct features are:
- Absence of temperature, signs of inflammation. If the rash has a viral, inflammatory, infectious or microbial nature, the appearance of pustules is always associated with an increase in body temperature to subfebrile values (38-39 degrees), frequent urination, loud crying due to body aches.
- The presence of purulent accumulations or cloudy water in the cavity of the pustule. Measles,scarlet fever, diphtheria, chickenpox and other complex infections are always associated with copious discharge of pus through the epidermis. Hormonal changes have no inclusion of third-party agents, only fatty (sebaceous) deposits or regular acne.
- Openness and closeness of skin rashes. The infection always spreads intramuscularly, so the rashes are tightly closed by the skin and burst inside it. In addition, each type of skin lesion has a clear localization, and an experienced doctor, even by appearance, is able to tell which virus the child has "caught". The exception is the herpes simplex virus, which affects the area of the nasolabial fold and looks like an overgrowth of wen.
- The presence of itching. Hormonal rashes do not cause inconvenience to the baby. He does not try to comb them, they do not peel off and do not turn red.
Treatment
The problem of hormonal rash in infants does not require any special medical treatment. If it suddenly appeared, you need to take the following hygiene measures:
- bath the baby daily, the water should be boiled and clean, it is best to add string, potassium permanganate, chamomile, celandine or bay leaf to it;
- necessary to avoid excessive sweating in the child, especially the need to watch the head and back;
- You can dress your baby only in clean clothes, bedding should also always be kept clean;
- in the place where the baby is located, you need to monitor the climate, the air temperature should not exceed 21degree, and the humidity level should be no more than 70%.
Dr. Komarovsky, with a hormonal rash in infants on the face and body, notes that it is best to choose clothes from natural material and avoid swaddling too tight. Any clothing should not constrain the child, it can only slightly fit the body. When a child has a hormonal rash, his behavior does not change much. He also continues to behave actively, the rash does not interfere with this at all. If the baby has such changes as increased capriciousness, lack of appetite, then, most likely, his rash is not hormonal and then you should immediately go to the doctor.
Forbidden
When hormonal rash is strictly prohibited:
- use hormonal ointments;
- smear the rash with solutions containing alcohol, do not use iodine and brilliant green;
- use too greasy ointments;
- wipe affected areas with herbal solutions;
- use powder;
- give antibiotics.
Violation of these rules can lead to the fact that the child's natural hormonal development will be disturbed. The rash will go away on its own within a month. If this does not happen, you need to consult a doctor, he will select the most suitable cream for treatment.
