Baby Skin
Anybody here knows why a newborn skin suddenly breaks out with little
white pimples..? Do they last?
-It's just baby acne. It'll go away. You'll notice red patches and dry
patches. Babies have bad skin. They had that waxy protection (vernix I
think it is - or is that the fur?) for so long and now they're having to get
used to air, sun, etc..
-it's called "milia" and I found this on the Net (this is not the
whole, just excerpted from
http://umm.drkoop.com/conditions/ency/article/001367.htm):
Milia
Causes and Risks: Milia occurs when dead, normally sloughed skin is
trapped in small, very superficial, cystic structures in the skin or
mucous membrane . Milia is seen frequently in newborn infants and
appears as pearly white bumps ( papules ) most commonly found across
the upper cheeks, nose, and chin. Irritation of the skin by rough
sheets or clothing may cause mild reddening around the papule , but
the central portion remains white. Irritated milia are sometimes
inorrectly referred to as "baby acne " (although it is not actually a
form of acne).
As the surface of the white pearly papule wears away the trapped dead
skin is lost and the papule disappears. Milia generally disappears
after the first several weeks of life.
This same type of cystic structure is seen on the gums and soft palate
of newborn infants. In the mucous membranes, they are called Epstein's
pearls. These lesions also disappear spontaneously.
Prevention: There is no known prevention.
Treatment: No treatment is indicated.