As soon as a 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. Such adaptation of the body in some cases is accompanied by a hormonal rash. Parents should know what a hormonal rash in a baby looks like . Photos of this pathology are presented in the article.
What it is?
Such a small pustular rash in the medical language is called pustulosis. Rashes of this kind are observed on the scalp and on the face. In some cases, the rash can spread along the back (upper part) and neck.
Pustulosis can appear from the moment of the birth of the baby and up to three months of the baby's life. Do not panic when such a rash occurs, because this is a natural process, the reaction of the child's body and the normalization of the hormonal background after birth. Such a rash is not contagious, since it does not have an infectious or bacterial etiology, therefore it is not dangerous to others. Since the hormonal rash is not a disease, but rather a special condition of the skin, no special treatment is required. Its occurrence is an absolutely normal physiological process.
Parents are primarily interested in when a hormonal rash occurs in an infant on the body. It all depends on the correct treatment. But basically get rid of it really in a few days.
Causes
The cause of this rash is hormones, namely maternal hormones, which in the first days of an infant's life are trying to free themselves. Algorithm for the occurrence of rashes in newborns on hormonal soil:
- The sebaceous glands of the newborn are not yet adapted for proper regulation.
- Excess sebum leads to blockage of the pores of the baby’s skin, which, in turn, causes inflammation.
Relationship with other factors
Acne with hormonal pustulosis looks like this: red small pimples with a white purulent apex. In some babies, the skin rash is almost imperceptible, but bumps are visible on it. The main places for the appearance of a rash is 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 rashes do not go away before the year, then you should contact a pediatrician about this, but in most cases the rashes go away on their own.
If, in addition to the rash, the baby has mastopathy, swelling of the genitals or spotting that resembles menstruation (in girls), then you should also not worry. This is a common process of adaptation of the infant body, which does not require medical intervention.
Symptoms
The first symptoms of hormonal pustulosis of newborns begin already from the first days of a baby's life. Such rashes are not a danger, 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 before the year, then you should definitely consult a doctor to establish an accurate diagnosis.
How to make sure that the rashes on the baby’s skin are hormonal?
The main symptom of hormonal pustulosis is a rash on the face, scalp, and sometimes on the back and neck. The location of pimples can vary. The hormonal rash looks like this: red small pimples with a white purulent head. In addition to rashes, babies with hormonal pustulosis may have symptoms such as:
- In both girls and boys, the mammary glands swell.
- In girls, discharge is possible, as during menstruation (vulvovaginitis).
- Genital edema.
If skin rashes occur, other diseases with similar symptoms should be immediately ruled out. You can confuse a hormonal rash with diseases such as diathesis, diaper rash, and allergies. If the rash does not go away after 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 in newborns on the skin usually causes great anxiety of 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 too rare, it affects about 1/3 of infants. They usually appear at 3-4 weeks of a baby's life. The reason for their development is maternal hormones.
In the last stages of pregnancy, the mother undergoes intensive production of the female hormone - estrogen, which enters the body of the child.
After the birth of maternal hormones for some time continue to act on the body of the child. They enhance 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 are less common. Acne looks like small-sized formations, without any signs of redness. After a few weeks, they pass without leaving a single trace.
In order to distinguish allergies from hormonal rashes, it is necessary to carefully examine the child and pay attention to the distinguishing features:
- Allergic rashes can affect any part of the body, while hormonal rashes usually occur on the neck and face.
- Allergic rashes usually do not have definite 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 differ in such manifestations and does not bring discomfort to the child.
Difference from infection
A tendency to hormonal changes of a pathological nature appears in the newborn even in the period of intrauterine development, when the mother's body in the 3rd trimester begins to actively produce estrogen for active preparation for labor. After birth, a malfunction in the endocrine system does not manifest itself until the 3rd week of the infant's independent life, thereby causing panic in adults.
It is very simple to distinguish a hormonal rash from an allergic reaction and especially an infection - externally, acne covers only the skin of the face and neck, the scalp. Additionally, the baby has a swelling of the mammary glands, testicles and scrotum.
Other distinctive features are:
- Lack of temperature, signs of inflammation. If the rash is of 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 turbid water in the cavity of the pustule. Measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria, chickenpox and other complex infections are always associated with abundant discharge of pus through the epidermis. Hormonal changes have no inclusions of third-party agents, only fat (sebaceous) deposits or ordinary acne.
- Openness and closedness 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 in appearance can tell which virus the child “picked up”. An exception is the herpes simplex virus, which affects the area of the nasolabial fold and looks like an infection 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 and do not blush.
Treatment
The problem of hormonal rash in infants does not require any special medical treatment. If she suddenly appeared, the following hygiene measures should be taken:
- daily bathe the baby, the water should be boiled and clean, it is best to add a string, potassium permanganate, chamomile, celandine or bay leaf to it;
- strong sweating in the child should be avoided, in particular, head and back should be monitored;
- you can only put on your baby 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 21 degrees, and the humidity level should not be more than 70%.
Dr. Komarovsky with a hormonal rash in infants on the face and body notes that clothes are best chosen from natural material and avoid too tight swaddling. Any clothes should not fetter the child, she can only just slightly fit the body. When a child has a hormonal rash, his behavior does not change much. He also continues to behave actively, a rash does not interfere with this at all. If the baby has such changes as increased moodiness, lack of appetite, then, most likely, his rash is not hormonal and then you need to immediately go to see a doctor.
Forbidden
With a hormonal rash, it is strictly forbidden:
- use hormonal ointments;
- smear the rash with solutions containing alcohol, you can not use iodine and brilliant green;
- use oily ointments;
- wipe the affected area with herbal solutions;
- use a powder;
- give antibiotics.
Violation of these rules can lead to the fact that the child is disrupted his natural hormonal development. The rash itself will pass a maximum in a month. If this did not happen, you need to see a doctor, he will choose the most suitable cream for treatment.