In infants, after birth, you can observe a fluff throughout the body. Moreover, some hairs are so stiff that the people call this phenomenon a bristle in a newborn. Many parents recognize this problem on their own, but not everyone realizes whether this is the norm or not. Some are even subject to prejudice and are convinced that during pregnancy they were subjected to the evil eye. Therefore, it is worthwhile to figure out whether the problem is dangerous, how to identify it and whether special treatment is required.
What does the bristle look like?
Usually, in young children, the skin is very soft, and the hairline is almost not noticeable. However, after a few weeks, the hairs grow back, coarsen and begin to prick. This is how the bristles appear in newborns, which is most noticeable in the back and shoulders. Some parents notice the problem only during water procedures, because the baby's skin is steaming and coarse hairs become very noticeable.
In appearance, the pathology does not resemble an adult male stubble. If in doubt, it is better to consult a doctor and listen to his competent opinion. But usually attentive mothers independently discover hard areas on the body and, for certain signs, identify their causes.
Bristle in newborns: how to determine
To determine the deviation on the skin of the baby, it is necessary to carefully examine it. The bristle may look different depending on the individual characteristics of the child, but there are still common features:
- If the hairs are light in color, then visually it is difficult to notice them. The problem area can be recognized by characteristic redness and irritation. This is due to inflammation of the hair follicles due to constant friction on clothing or other surfaces.
- Sometimes the hairs are so small that even inflamed areas are not observed. Then the behavior of the newborn can suggest the presence of a problem. If the bristles bother him, he constantly fidgets and sleeps restlessly.
- To the touch and visually it is possible to determine the pathology if the hairs are long and have a dark color. In a problem place, if you hold it with your hand, you feel stinginess.
- In the place of germination of hard hairs, black dots can be observed.
Pediatricians warn that in each case the problem is individual in nature. It is sometimes difficult to focus on general advice on its definition. It is necessary to monitor the behavior of the baby and regularly show it to specialists in order to timely detect the bristles in newborns. How to determine this condition, the doctor will always tell.
Causes of pathology
Caring parents are not without reason interested in where the hard hair comes from on the baby’s body. Some try to remove them, but before you deal with the problem, you need to find out its causes.
Bristles in newborns can occur due to:
- natural rolling out, when the baby is constantly spinning and the fluffy hair gradually coarsens;
- stopping hair growth during fetal maturation and continuing their growth immediately after birth;
- disruption of the sebaceous glands and pores in some areas of the skin.
Experts confirm that the first two points are the most common causes, pass on their own and do not cause much discomfort to the child. The last factor indicates a malfunction in the body and may require competent treatment.
Usually, doctors even in the hospital determine the problem, identify its cause and prescribe the appropriate procedures.
How to get rid of bristles
How to remove the bristles in newborns, our grandmothers also knew. Unfortunately, traditional medicine does not consider this problem a disease if the hairs are not too long and coarse. Therefore, parents try to use folk methods. However, it is better to consult a doctor about the appropriateness of using a particular method and its harmlessness.
Sometimes the methods are quite extreme. We will not consider them, because they require individual diagnostics. It should always be understood that self-medication can lead to negative consequences, for example, significant skin irritation.
Grandma's ways
Even our grandmothers were able to cope with such a phenomenon as the bristles in newborns without the help of doctors. How to identify and deduce such an unpleasant formation? Of course, a competent specialist will recommend modern and effective methods. But as a complement to the general purpose, you can use proven folk recipes. We will talk about them below.
Rolling out
This procedure occurs using a yeast test. It must be kneaded using milk and be sure to add honey.
It is important to completely exclude an allergic reaction before the procedure!
The method is as follows. The baby needs to be thoroughly redeemed so that the hairs are steamed. Then they take pieces of dough and roll out the problem area for ten minutes. Usually, eight to ten sessions are required to completely resolve a problem.
Wraps
For the procedure, a crumb of brown bread is used. A cake is made from it and breast milk (mixture), which is superimposed on the coarsened area. Then the place turns into a film and the baby is bathed, as usual. After water procedures, the cake is removed. Earlier, the baby was hovering in the bath, now parents are content with a regular bath.
Compress
Before the procedure, you need to steam the baby. Then the bristles of the newborn are treated with any baby cream, but always greasy, and wrapped with gauze. Such a compress is left overnight, and is removed in the morning.
All of these methods will not harm the baby and will help relieve him of discomfort.
What pediatricians say
Any doctor will confirm that the bristles in newborns on the back are not any deviation from the norm and are considered a developmental feature. Moreover, some even consider hard hairline a sign of evolutionary processes that will soon become the norm.
The famous children's doctor Komarovsky, whose opinion is respected by many mothers, considers the problem far-fetched and does not require special attention, if it does not cause discomfort to the baby. But if the bristles on the back interfere with the baby, you can put him to sleep on his stomach for some time. Over time, coarse hair will disappear by itself. But still, you should regularly show the peanut to the doctor, who must monitor the state of the bristles. Usually, specialists give the following general recommendations:
- Go through all the experts recommended by age to exclude developmental pathology that led to excessive growth of hard hair.
- If the problem of the bristles worries the baby, the contact of irritated skin with any hard surfaces should be reduced.
- Observe the condition of the hairs and contact the pediatrician for any exacerbation.
Do not worry too much about such a thing as bristles in newborns. How to bring it out yourself, you already know, but sometimes you do not need to do anything. The problem goes away on its own without any intervention and does not require radical treatment.
Conclusion
The bristles in the newborn are quite common. It is localized in the area of the back and shoulders. If the baby does not feel severe discomfort, you can just watch her. Clothing for a newborn is better to get only from soft tissues that do not rub inflamed skin.
You can try to get rid of it with home recipes. They are harmless, they will not harm the baby, but a doctor’s consultation before use is necessary. It is especially dangerous to use honey without making sure that there is no allergic reaction. Therefore, it is always necessary to test on a small area of the skin.