Many of the common skin conditions that infants develop are nothing serious. Baby acne just requires a thorough cleansing while heat rash generally requires cooling the infant and washing the affected areas. These conditions typically look fairly innocuous, but other common skin conditions can look quite frightening. Here are some of the skin conditions your infant may develop that look far more serious than they are.
When you ask most first time mothers what common skin conditions babies face, most will respond with “diaper rash.” It’s almost a rite of passage. But most first time mothers aren’t prepared for how frightening diaper rash can look. According to Discover and Web MD, diaper rash can include a wide range of symptoms ranging from the raw, red bumps to large seeping sores that look like exposed blisters. The more severe cases of diaper rash may be worsened by laundry detergent or components in the diapers themselves. Severe cases may require special cleansing. Your first step is to cleanse the affected area and then apply medication for diaper rash. Infected patches may require a doctor’s care. Also make sure to allow your baby to spend anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes without a diaper on to let the area air out sufficiently.
Large blistering and bloody patches that appear on your baby’s body will generally cause a panic. Most of the time though, it’s nothing more than impetigo. What to Expect states that this is one of the more common frightening skin conditions, and while it does need a doctor’s care in many situations, it is not lethal. Most of the time, the impetigo develops from a streptococci or staphylococci infection. They come in two main forms, the bullous form, which has large fluid filled blisters, and the non-bullous form, which has thick yellow scabs and bloody edges. The doctor will prescribe an antibiotic to take care of the situation. Avoid picking at it, or trying to do anything more than gently cleanse the area. You may unintentionally make it worse, or introduce additional bacteria. Remember to pat and not rub when drying the baby off from a bath. If possible, just let him air dry.
Strawberry hemangioma develops in infants during the first few months of their lives and last until they are anywhere from 5-10 years old. In some cases, they are no larger than a freckle while in others they may be the size of a baseball. They start off as small bruises and bumps that grow over time. The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin states that these are generally apparent within the first six months. The ones that often cause concern are those that begin to bulge upward and develop into thick growths. Most of the time, they are not a cause for concern, but if they start to bleed, become infected, or start to interfere with the baby’s ability to see, eat, or move, then you need to take your infant to the doctor.