The nine month course of the pregnancy is a stressful period for both the parents. There is a sense of joy in the family as the new born arrives in the family. Infant acne can be a cause of great stress for the parents. Parents get extremely disappointed and concerned when their newborn's face breaks out giving rise to red bumps. Baby acne or Infant acne is in fact a common occurrence and as many as 20% of all infants. A newborn is usually affected by it at the time of birth or within 3-4 weeks after the birth and is more commonly observed among baby boys then there female crawling parts.



Infant acne is commonly found on the cheeks of the baby but is sometimes observed on the forehead and chin as well. Infant acne is generally caused by baby's skin to male (androgenic) and female (estrogenic) hormones after the delivery. At the last stages of pregnancy a mother passes a lot of things to the baby including the things she eats from minerals like calcium, iron, and hormones etc. These hormones cross the placenta into your baby causing the oil glands on the skin to form bumps that looks like pimples. A new born can also be affected by it during breast feeding. Sometimes infant acne can be seen in the form of rashes that appear on the baby's skin after birth but the get bad within couple of weeks. Infant acne is a temporary disorder and should not be treated through oral or chemical medications. Treatment to reduce the irritation and itching caused by infant acne can be used so that the baby doesn't cause scars by scratching the skin. It usually goes away when the baby is 4-6 months old.

The other thing to be avoided is the use of harsh detergents on baby cloths as it can irritate the sensitive baby skin. Baby clothes should be clean at all times as bad hygienic conditions could be a fort for bacteria which can lead to infant acne.