# Newborn acne saga w/ periodic pics. Another pic 2/5, 10 days dairy free



## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

I don't remember DD having these issues w/ her skin. Moments after DS was born, his skin turned red and splotchy. The majority of that splotchiness cleared up around day 4. But then on day 17, he developed a TON of pimples on his face. Is this normal and will it go away (and when)? I'll post a picture later today of it. But he seriously has a ton of it. He looks like he's going through adolescence already, lol.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...ewbornzits.jpg

Now here's from today, 11/2. I think it looks some better.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...ringupsome.jpg

And one from 11/10. I can't tell if it's clearing up or not, lol.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1.../acnenov10.jpg

Here's the one from 11/20. The actual bumps seem to be mostly gone, but now his face is still so red and splotchy, and sort of dry-ish on his cheeks.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...jaminnov20.jpg

And one from 12/3. I think it's finally mostly gone now, and he's settling in to what his normal skin tone will be.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...6/acnedec3.jpg

ETA 12/14: Well, he's 2 months old now and still doesn't have clear skin.







I have tried coconut oil the past couple of days but that's either having a neutral effect or making it worse. I cannot do an elimination diet due to budgetary constraints. I guess this is just what his skin is going to "do" and I need to accept it. *sigh*

Here's his 12/17 pic. I think it's getting worse again. It looks worse than it did a couple of days ago.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...17benjamin.jpg

Ugh, worse again just one day later on 12/18. It's all up in his forehead now.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...18benjamin.jpg

Here's a pic from 12/19:
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...19benjamin.jpg

New pic from 12/21. Only thing I changed between yesterday and today was to go buy a bottle of Eucerin yesterday afternoon, and I've been putting that on him.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...21benjamin.jpg

New pics from 1/3. It just won't go away.







I started keeping a food log to see if there was any pattern to the come-and-go irritation, but there was never enough "go" in that "come-and-go" to make it worthwhile for me to continue the log, so I stopped. I haven't changed my diet at all throughout this whole process, and I really want to know what made it clear up that one time, on the 21st. I missed one night of lotion on Christmas Eve b/c of being stuck in traffic for 23 hours, and since then, it's never been as clear as it was on the 21st through the 23rd of December. The weird thing is that it's only red on that one side of his face.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...n3benjamin.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...3benjamin2.jpg

I haven't been doing lotion like I should, but I did apply BM the past few days, and it hasn't helped at all. At this point I'm just counting the days until his next well-baby visit so I can ask about it again and hopefully be given a more substantial answer than "it's just dry sensitive skin, keep it moisturized." Because that's not working.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1.../acne11610.jpg

ETA 1/21 (copied/pasted from my blog): No new pictures today. He looks about the same. Just some thoughts, instead. I'm probably a little crazy, but anyway here they are. lol

So... my peers have babies who have beautiful skin. I don't know a single other IRL baby (<6 months old) who even has a little bit of redness. So my baby is red. Maybe it'll go away. Maybe it's eczema. Maybe it's yeast. Maybe it's cradle cap on his face. Maybe it's a food sensitivity. Maybe the cause will never be known and he'll stay red indefinitely.

And? I'm ok with that. This is MY baby that God saw fit to bless me with. Benjamin is a smiley, happy baby. He doesn't have colic. He is (usually) easy to sooth. He's growing. I wouldn't think that his disposition would be so happy if the rash were bothersome to him.

He's already three months old. Three months! I don't know where the time went. Yes I do. It disappeared while I kept dwelling on his appearance instead of who he is. I don't want to let any more unnecessary time escape, time that instead I could spend watching him grow.

Sure, I'll mention it at his next dr visit. And maybe he'll outgrow it. Maybe he won't. I'm not going to keep my life on "pause" any more. He and I are getting pictures made on Friday, a gift from Mom. Back when she and I were talking about it, I had the brief thought that his skin would be better come picture time. But I can't hit the "pause" button for life. He will only be three months old once, and then it's gone.

I don't want to miss the important things.

ETA 2/5: So while I was enjoying my baby, I kept having the thought of "what if it IS diet-related" and I decided to cut out dairy to start. I'm 10 days dairy free now and didn't see any change at all until a couple of days ago... when I had also eliminated chocolate (I'd found some dairy-free chocolate that I made into some dairy-free cookies and I ate more than my fair share of those cookies every day, lol) and added back in lotion several times a day. And here he is now:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...rly4months.jpg

So I don't know if it's the dairy finally working its way out, or the chocolate that I "had" to have, or the lotion, or if he's finally growing out of it. But anyway I thought I'd post another picture, lol.


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## Ldavis24 (Feb 19, 2009)

DD was born with her nose covered entirely in tiny whiteheads that took nearly a month to vanish. She also had a ton of acne that varied but never went away for almost 2 months. Her skin still gets splotchy sometimes, she is super fair skinned like me so it is even more visible i feel.
I asked her ped and he said because I am bfing it has to do with my hormone levels apparently. He said it was perfectly normal and just don't pick at it or try to wash it with soap or anything.
Babies pores I guess are very easily clogged so it is really common.


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## Blueone (Sep 12, 2009)

It varies from baby to baby. Try putting breast milk on his face, that will clear it up!


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## hotharmony (Apr 14, 2008)

He's SUPER cute btw!

And totally normal.


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## lifeguard (May 12, 2008)

Totally normal ime. I was so sad when ds got the newborn acne but it does go away on it's own & he skin was back to perfect again.

What a cutie!


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Thanks everyone.

He's managed to get even more since this morning, when that picture was taken, lol. He really looks terrible.


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## ms. pacman (May 4, 2004)

He is really adorable, and I'd definitely say it's normal


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## lisalu100 (Aug 18, 2008)

DD was the same from 4 weeks - there are a couple of weeks where there are no close-up photo lol! I guess she was like that for about a month. Some days it was really bad, the next there was hardly anything. Now, at 3 months, she has perfect skin though, and has done for about 4 weeks


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## melissarana (Dec 6, 2008)

What a handsome fellow! His skin looks completely normal, at least in my experience. My babe had similar acne from about 4 to 8 weeks, it sort of moved in patches all over her face and neck. Now at 12 weeks it’s totally gone and she’s has the most beautiful glowing skin. For me, when she was broken out, I felt the constant need to explain or justify her “condition” to everyone. It made me feel really guilty that I wasn’t letting people enjoy her perfectness, so I eventually started to keep my mouth shut and only elaborated when people asked.


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## Sk8ermaiden (Feb 13, 2008)

Mine had that and I hated it! It doesn't necessarily have to do with hormones in breastmilk, everything I have read says residual hormones from birth. Many FF babies in my playroom had the same issue.

Hers cleared up around 2 months. Wait it out, it will get better!


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## emmaegbert (Sep 14, 2004)

aw, gorgeous baby

the pimples look just like my 2 kids. Both had it for a couple of weeks then it totally cleared up to beautiful, buttery soft skin. My poor DS lost his hair in a male pattern baldness way at the same time, her really looked a bit ugly there- even I noticed!!

ped and MWs all said its normal, not to worry.


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## kawa kamuri (Apr 19, 2006)

my daughter is the same way right now, started around week 2. i just started putting breastmilk on her face.

your little boy is beautiful, btw


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## Pandme (Jan 31, 2007)

Thank GOD there is someone else going through this! My daughter's skin is AWFUL....a lot like your son's, but worse because she has cradle cap going on too. I often wonder how many hormones I have, seriously.

She's 5 weeks old. This started around 3 weeks and by 4 weeks was raging. I'm hoping that weeks 7-8 come soon....hopefully it will ease up.


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## boobs4milk (Jun 25, 2006)

we're putting breastmilk on amelia's face and it looks better. he's really cute harmony!!!


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## Biscuits & Gravy (Jul 17, 2008)

He is beautiful!! DS2 got it really bad, much worse than DS1. Putting breastmilk on his skin really helped.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

In most cases, it's normal, but in our case it was not.

My daughter's baby acne got worse and worse, and eventually looked like this:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8-6hIT_D2d...h/IMG_1753.JPG
(That being the "good" photo that I took, where you can't see as much of the patchy eczema underlying the spots).

I needed to eliminate several allergens from my diet for her skin to clear up, which it did within weeks of going off the major allergens. Dairy, corn, wheat and peanut allergies were later confirmed by testing. The eczema, cradle cap and acne all cleared up simultaneously.

A couple of weeks into the elimination diet, she looked like this:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8-6hIT_D2d...h/IMG_2115.JPG

I mention this just in case it helps anyone; I know Dr. Sears also mentions that sometimes a very persistent/bad case of newborn acne can be related to allergies.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MelW* 
In most cases, it's normal, but in our case it was not.

My daughter's baby acne got worse and worse, and eventually looked like this:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8-6hIT_D2d...h/IMG_1753.JPG
(That being the "good" photo that I took, where you can't see as much of the patchy eczema underlying the spots).

I needed to eliminate several allergens from my diet for her skin to clear up, which it did within weeks of going off the major allergens. Dairy, corn, wheat and peanut allergies were later confirmed by testing. The eczema, cradle cap and acne all cleared up simultaneously.

A couple of weeks into the elimination diet, she looked like this:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8-6hIT_D2d...h/IMG_2115.JPG

I mention this just in case it helps anyone; I know Dr. Sears also mentions that sometimes a very persistent/bad case of newborn acne can be related to allergies.

I see a few spots on her shoulder in the first picture... did she have spots all over her body?


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

They were worse on her face, but she had quite a bit on her upper chest and a few on the rest of her body, too. The worst of all was one ear (it's the ear that I "hid" in that photo)- it was raw and open and looked like she'd been in a fight


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## Pandme (Jan 31, 2007)

FWIW, Harmony, I can tell my daughter's skin is starting to clear up and she's 5 weeks. Her cheeks are starting to get soft again and less red and angry looking.

I am already not eating things like dairy, chocolate, eggs, peanuts, etc.

But I don't think it's food allergies in our case. And I'm not eliminating wheat because I would have nothing to eat. I am eating a horribly narrow diet as it is and it's only fueling feelings of depression and resentment.


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## Pandme (Jan 31, 2007)

Also, Dr. Sears talks about food allergies if the acne starts earlier than the usual window it appears (ie. around 3 weeks) and gets worse REALLY fast rather than gradually as well.

So a really bad case alone does not mean food allergies.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pandme* 
Also, Dr. Sears talks about food allergies if the acne starts earlier than the usual window it appears (ie. around 3 weeks) and gets worse REALLY fast rather than gradually as well.

So a really bad case alone does not mean food allergies.

Does he talk about that in The Baby Book? I have that on loan right now but haven't gotten to the acne part yet.


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## Pandme (Jan 31, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Harmony96* 
Does he talk about that in The Baby Book? I have that on loan right now but haven't gotten to the acne part yet.

Yep.


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## CookAMH (Jun 2, 2008)

For baby acne, coconut oil was amazing. Worked wonderfully.


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## Pandme (Jan 31, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CookAMH* 
For baby acne, coconut oil was amazing. Worked wonderfully.

You just rubbed it in like a moisturizer?


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Added a pic from today.


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## maggie80 (Oct 18, 2008)

Had to comment--your ds is so adorable. My dd had acne from week 3 to about week 7-8. It went away and she has clear skin now.


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## MamaRue (Aug 26, 2007)

my little girl has it really bad...starting day 14-15 and it is in high gear right now...as bad or maybe worse than your little one (who is so adorable by the way...and it looks from the updated pic that you are moving through it!!).

i can't even let in the thought of allergy stuff (even though what dr. sears said would indicate it could be allergy related)...we are using half donor breastmilk and i just have to hope and pray that she doesn't have allergies and sensitivities because there is nothing i can do. we already have a frozen stash to get us through at least 3 months and the mamas who are pumping for me eat well...but they certainly are not on allergen free diets.

my son's came and went pretty quickly...here's hoping her's does too!!!


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## sapientia (Apr 22, 2007)

Our youngest had HORRIFIC baby acne early on, I did some research and it was erythema toxicum-less bad than it sounds! It was normal and all-just pretty intense and went away in about a week, now he has gorgeous fair skin.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

I would add a pic from today but it's about the same as the second pic I posted. I would have thought that once it starts improving, it would have continued to improve. His forehead does look slightly better, but his cheeks still have a ton of dots on them.

He was 4 weeks on Saturday so just from the anecdotes in this thread, I guess I have another 1-3 months of this before it goes away on its own.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

I added a new pic from today to post #1. I can't tell if it's getting better or not.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

I can't say whether it's getting better from the second photo posted (a week ago), but certainly not worse, and both are better from the first photo.

In the first photo his skin looks really red and irritated, and in the next two it just looks like normal newborn acne "bumps".

I use coconut oil for my daughter's skin, too- it's anti-fungal and a great gentle moisturizer. (I'm the previous poster with the baby whose acne was allergy related)


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

He has a dime-sized patch between his eyebrows that looks like cradle cap, so I put some coconut oil on that just now and also put some oil on the patches of "zits" on his cheeks.


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## darcytrue (Jan 23, 2009)

My DD has developed this in the past week or so. Her skin was so clear before that.







Made me feel guilty because I figure it's something in the BM. I read up on it and at this age (she's 7 weeks) it's most likely neonatal acne and should clear up in a few weeks. It can be caused by something in my BM, hormones, medications/supplements I take, food I've eaten. It worried me because she went 6 weeks with clear skin and now she has the acne. My other DD was born with the acne.


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## LadyCatherine185 (Aug 12, 2008)

My DS had skin like this until I cut out all dairy. Within 5 days it was clear.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

new pics for today in first post.


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## gossamerwindweb (May 18, 2006)

my son had HORRID acne. But it finally went away at around 8 weeks old. I was so relieved. LOL!


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## CookAMH (Jun 2, 2008)

Looks like it's healing nicely. I'd guess it's drying up. Have you used coconut oil on it? He's a cutie









Hey how do we know each other? I recognize your username and wondered if we have emailed? Were you on The Nest?


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CookAMH* 
Looks like it's healing nicely. I'd guess it's drying up. Have you used coconut oil on it? He's a cutie









Hey how do we know each other? I recognize your username and wondered if we have emailed? Were you on The Nest?

I have used a little coconut oil on it, but not very often. It was more for the cradle cap that was between his eyebrows, lol. That stuff had to GO. hehe.

As for how we know each other, this is my username on pretty much every forum that I'm registered on, including The Nest... but I haven't been there in a few years.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Another pic added today.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Now that I look at the pictures again, the last picture and the next to last picture look about the same to me, lol. So I don't know.

Guess nobody else does anymore either. lol.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

update in post #1


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## boobs4milk (Jun 25, 2006)

andrea, do you take fish oil? amelia's skin looks great now that i take the omega 3's.


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## jenmn (Nov 11, 2006)

My DD had terrible baby acne until I went on an elimination diet. It is an unbelievable difference in just a few days. Sorry you are going through this too!


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *boobs4milk* 
andrea, do you take fish oil? amelia's skin looks great now that i take the omega 3's.

I started it up again after your post. I hadn't been taking it for a while.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

new pics added from this morning


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

One of my friends from Facebook said that her girls' dr said that the cradle cap was causing their baby acne (like the flakes from their head would irritate their facial skin when they flaked off) and suggested Selsun Blue. My friend suggested to wash DS's hair in it and let it sit on his head while I gave him the rest of his bath and that it might take "a day or two" but that it really cleared things up for her girls.

I tried this just now, but I probably did it wrong. I re-checked the "instructions" from her after I did it. I probably didn't let it set on his head long enough. I only washed his head, though. I didn't give him the "rest" of his bath since the rest of his skin is still so dry... I didn't want to further dry it by stripping it of what little oil was there.

Anyway so that wasn't the only thing I did just now. I first liberally put some coconut oil on his head (that stuff is so cool b/c I could spread it on like frosting and then it would melt onto his head), then scrubbed his head w/ a soft toothbrush, then washed it w/ baby shampoo to get rid of most of the coco oil, then washed it w/ the Selsun (heavily diluted but still enough to make a good lather).

And now that his head is clean and rinsed, I don't think I left the oil on long enough either, b/c his head still has a ton of flakes on it. But a bunch came off, too. It's just so hard to tell what's really going on b/c the oil-softened flakes are the same color as his scalp until they come off via the toothbrush.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

New pics for today. *sigh*







:


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## gossamerwindweb (May 18, 2006)

That looks more like allergic eczema than acne to me. I haven't been keeping up with this thread in general but I think you should really look into things that could cause allergies. Not just foods, but also laundry soap, baby soap, anything that has changed in your house lately, perfume you may wear, cologne your husband wears, even your makeup. Anything that has changed in the last week that might make it worse. I had severe eczema as a baby and child, and it looked just like that. My parents took me to an allergist and that might be the best thing for you to do.







I'm so sorry your LO is having this problem


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## texaspeach (Jun 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jenmn* 
My DD had terrible baby acne until I went on an elimination diet. It is an unbelievable difference in just a few days. Sorry you are going through this too!









: ds had a rash until I cut out dairy, nuts and soy


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## luvmybaby333 (Nov 13, 2009)

I'm not familiar with this sort of thing... but that looks more like eczema than acne to me. I hope you get it sorted out soon.


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## MCatLvrMom2A&X (Nov 18, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gossamerwindweb* 
That looks more like allergic eczema than acne to me. I haven't been keeping up with this thread in general but I think you should really look into things that could cause allergies. Not just foods, but also laundry soap, baby soap, anything that has changed in your house lately, perfume you may wear, cologne your husband wears, even your makeup. Anything that has changed in the last week that might make it worse. I had severe eczema as a baby and child, and it looked just like that. My parents took me to an allergist and that might be the best thing for you to do.







I'm so sorry your LO is having this problem

















I was thinking that it looked like eczmea. My dd broke out like that with it.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

New pic from today added to first post. If it doesn't look significantly better by the time we get back from being out of town, I'm going to attempt an elimination diet and see if that helps at all.


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## gossamerwindweb (May 18, 2006)

I really believe that is eczema. He is probably miserable and itchy, poor little guy!!


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## MCatLvrMom2A&X (Nov 18, 2004)

after seeing the last picture I am all but convinced it is eczema. I would start by removing eggs and nuts because those are the biggest triggers usually for eczema. For my dd even me eating an M&M with trace amounts of nuts caused severe break outs.


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## angelachristin (Apr 13, 2007)

my DS got a rash like that from chocolate in my diet.


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## AKislandgirl (Jun 2, 2008)

My DD's eczema looked just like those last photos. She had it all over her face. We used Weleda Baby Cream on her skin which helped dramatically. She is starting to get a few patches again now that we are having cold dry weather, but nothing like she had when she was a 2 month old. I use the cream on the eczema and the calendula oil as an all over moisturizer after every bath.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

New pic from today. It looks a TON better. I got some Eucerin yesterday afternoon and have been putting that on him.


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## liltrouble (Oct 16, 2009)

oh i am sorry you are still struggling with this. your little one is soo cute acne or not. i wonder though if, like you mentioned, it may be diet related. my lo suffered from horrible acne and then i did some elimination and it seems to have worked - it of course my have been coincidence that maybe her acne was just meant to stop.

i quit eating nuts, citrus and berries. odd but my dr recommended it.


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## mamaheids (Aug 25, 2006)

I saw your first post edited to add that you can't afford an elimination diet. You could try cutting out the top allergens (dairy, soy, gluten, nuts, eggs) you don't need to buy special food to do this, just get a little creative. Or do one at a time, and if you see no effect, on to the next... For our DD (5 mos) her eczema was related to gluten, tummy issues and weird poop were related to her other intolernaces. But within 24 hours of cutting out gluten her eczema started to disappear, within 2 weeks her skin was beautifully clear. (Her skin looked just like your babes). It really is worth it to play with your diet, because if his skin is reacting that way to something you are eating, you can only imagine how hard it is for his little immune system. (The eczema/rash is only the symptom that we see.)
PM me if you want to pick my brain about how I eat- my DD's intolerances are dairy, soy, gluten, eggs, corn, oats, beef, peas I rarely eat any special/more expensive foods- and my meal plan for the month is the same for everyone in the family. They just add stuff like rolls/bread and milk to drink.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

So DS's skin had been doing so well. Then over the holidays, what was supposed to only be a 6.5 hour car trip turned into a 23 hour car trip, and I missed putting on his nightly lotion application because of it. And his skin broke out again on one cheek and still remains red today.

But I am wondering now if minute amounts of caffiene might be causing this. I use chocolate chips for DD's potty training treats and sometimes eat some myself. And also over this weekend, nearly every snack item had chocolate in it as well.

I haven't had any more caffiene since yesterday so - am going to watch DS to see what happens, if anything, over the next few days.


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## hildare (Jul 6, 2009)

i have been following/watching your thread.. i have a dd who's now 8 weeks old and we had been going through exactly the same thing. her skin was wretched.. i cut out dairy then eggs then nuts, the whole gamut.
it didn't get better and i found the dr. sears bit about eating nothing but turkey, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, and pears for two weeks and adding stuff back in.
after 3 days of this, her skin is almost all the way healed.
it's not fun, i am starving, and my heart is almost broken b/c i think the culprit was wheat. i usually survive on pasta. so... you might want to give that a try if nothing's worked so far. if it gets better, you'll at least KNOW it's a food allergy.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

I think before I try any diet alterations, I'll keep a food log of what I eat. Because if it was something I was eating or not eating early last week that made him clear up (instead of the lotion), I can't remember what I did or didn't have. I still continued dairy during that time, and wheat as well (a bowl of frosted wheat cereal w/ milk is my breakfast every day).


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## mamaheids (Aug 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Harmony96* 
I think before I try any diet alterations, I'll keep a food log of what I eat. Because if it was something I was eating or not eating early last week that made him clear up (instead of the lotion), I can't remember what I did or didn't have. I still continued dairy during that time, and wheat as well (a bowl of frosted wheat cereal w/ milk is my breakfast every day).


A food log is absolutely a great idea! Just keep in mind that proteins can stay in your milk for quite a long time. Some quotes from kellymom's site

"reactions may occur within minutes, but symptoms in breastfed babies more commonly show up 4-24 hours after exposure. If baby has an acute reaction to a new food, or to a food that mom ate a large amount of, then he will probably be back to normal within a couple of hours. If baby is sensitive to a food that mom eats frequently, symptoms may be ongoing"

"If you think that your baby may be sensitive to dairy products in your diet, remember that it can take 10 days to 3 weeks to eliminate cow's milk protein from your system-allow a full 2-3 weeks of dairy elimination before evaluating the results."


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

New pics and update in #1


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## BeanSprout Mama (Mar 4, 2004)

Have you tried changing detergents or double-rinsing his clothes? I only ask because it looks like that is only where his cheek is rubbing against his clothes/blankets. I haven't read your whole thread so you've probably already tried that but I know my kids have all had super-sensitive skin and detergent would set off rashes like crazy. I wash the baby's clothes with the dye-free perfume-free detergent and then do another wash with just water. I hate to use so much water but it works.


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## Norasmomma (Feb 26, 2008)

In his newest pic it looks like my DS's sebborrehic dermatitis. I used hydrocortisone on his face for a couple days and it was gone. It flares up again once in awhile I put it on again and it disappears almost instantly. He also had cradle cap for a little while. My ped told me if all else failed to try the hydrocortisone, so I did after trying other things.


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## texaspeach (Jun 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Harmony96* 
New pics and update in #1

what a sweet sleeping baby picture


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## boobs4milk (Jun 25, 2006)

hugs andrea! it does look better, though!!!


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Added new pic from this morning. I think it's the worst it's ever been.


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## Mom2M (Sep 23, 2006)

It looks very similar to my DD's rash. I stopped dairy and it was gone. If I eat stuff like ice cream, butter, milk or cheese it comes back. So it's not too bad because dairy in other foods is fine, it's just straight dairy that causes it.
Breastmilk didn't work on her skin either.
Hope it clears up soon, I got a lot of comments too until it went away.

Deb


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## Dandelionkid (Mar 6, 2007)

It doesn't look like normal acne. I think I would go with the diet mentioned above but MAN, that seems way easier said than done!! Or maybe something environmental? Not much help...It almost looks a bit infected in the new pic


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## sunshadow (May 17, 2009)

My daughter had the same thing and it was due to dairy. Good luck!


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## WC_hapamama (Sep 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Norasmomma* 
In his newest pic it looks like my DS's sebborrehic dermatitis. I used hydrocortisone on his face for a couple days and it was gone. It flares up again once in awhile I put it on again and it disappears almost instantly. He also had cradle cap for a little while. My ped told me if all else failed to try the hydrocortisone, so I did after trying other things.

My 5 week old ds's skin looks a lot like the OP's dc's latest picture, and at his well baby check last week, our pedi said it's sebborrehic dermatitis as well. Dr said to just keep it clean and moisturized as the topical meds for it are not recommended for newborns.

We have lots of experience with eczema, but this is a new one for us. That said, the Dr. recommended the same moisturizers for this as our allergist recommends for my older dc's eczema. Eucerin cream (not the lotion), Aquaphor or Cerave. Lotions will just dry out the skin more.


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## frontierpsych (Jun 11, 2006)

My DS (16 months) has eczema, and his skin often looks like that.

What has worked for us is a CeraVe/steroid cream compound, which medicates and moisturizes. We use that for 2 weeks then go a week with using pure CeraVe for moisture and Protopic ointment (non-steroidal) as a medication, alternating every few weeks. He still breaks out on occasion, but it is most important to bathe him regularly and apply his lotions twice a day. It is a chore, but it saves him a lot of pain. Sometimes his skin is so bad it cracks and bleeds and just looks like scales, which started getting at it's worse around age 4 months. He is in the middle of a breakout right now, but I am picking up some of his meds tomorrow and will make sure to give him a good bath. I hope you find this info useful with your DS!


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## WC_hapamama (Sep 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *frontierpsych* 
My DS (16 months) has eczema, and his skin often looks like that.

What has worked for us is a CeraVe/steroid cream compound, which medicates and moisturizes. We use that for 2 weeks then go a week with using pure CeraVe for moisture and Protopic ointment (non-steroidal) as a medication, alternating every few weeks. He still breaks out on occasion, but it is most important to bathe him regularly and apply his lotions twice a day. It is a chore, but it saves him a lot of pain. Sometimes his skin is so bad it cracks and bleeds and just looks like scales, which started getting at it's worse around age 4 months. He is in the middle of a breakout right now, but I am picking up some of his meds tomorrow and will make sure to give him a good bath. I hope you find this info useful with your DS!

Just a public service announcement regarding Protopic... a 2 part one.

1) Protopic does have a black box warning... that said, the allergist we work with, who has been involved with clinical trials for this drug, said that the risk is very, very, very slim. In Europe, they consider the risk so slim that they don't warn about it at all.

2) Use of Protopic on children under the age of 2 is an "off label" use. The drug maker does not recommend the use of this product on children under 2... no studies have been done on that segment of the population.

I absolutely trust this drug, my oldest ds was even involved in a clinical trial for a cream version of it, and he's not had any problems. Protopic ointment was the one thing that made his awful eczema clear up.


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## kdtmom2be (Aug 26, 2006)

I agree with those that say that it looks like eczema. DD gets a rash just like that, hers is from dairy and from some detergents.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Norasmomma* 
In his newest pic it looks like my DS's sebborrehic dermatitis. I used hydrocortisone on his face for a couple days and it was gone. It flares up again once in awhile I put it on again and it disappears almost instantly. He also had cradle cap for a little while. My ped told me if all else failed to try the hydrocortisone, so I did after trying other things.

Just wanted to mention that because hydrocortisone is a steroid that your son's system can become dependant on it and if you use it regularily he may have an outbreak when you stop using it just because you are not using it. I'm sure that you're doc made you aware of this though









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mom2M* 
It looks very similar to my DD's rash. I stopped dairy and it was gone. If I eat stuff like ice cream, butter, milk or cheese it comes back. So it's not too bad because dairy in other foods is fine, it's just straight dairy that causes it.
Breastmilk didn't work on her skin either.
Hope it clears up soon, I got a lot of comments too until it went away.

Deb

Same for us that it was MILK that was the problem, not dairy. DD can eat cheese, yogurt, etc. but can't drink milk. (and she is not as sensitive now either, at 2.5)

Also, doesn't it make sense that rubbing BM on thier faces wouldn't help? BM contains the allergen that is causing the problem in the first place! Unless it is an environmental cause, BM won't help, I wouldn't think!


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## Pandme (Jan 31, 2007)

Harmony, I think at this point I really would do the Dr. Sears complete elimination diet to just put to rest the food issue once and for all. My daughter's skin was horrible with acne and sebborrhic dermatitis at 5-9 weeks but it's been ok for a while now. Even her cradle cap went from a raging case to extremely mild. Now she just gets a tiny zit here and there that is gone within the day.

I just think at this point it should really be getting better and while it could definitely be environmental, I think following the strict elimination diet would at least put your mind at rest that it isn't a food. It'll be a few weeks of a PITA diet, but I think it would be worth it.


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## furfeet (Aug 25, 2007)

Just thought I'd throw this out there- my dd had a stubborn rash and my mw said it looked like yeast. Very surprising to me since she didn't have diaper rash or thrush like my boys did. Anyway I wiped her face/head/neck (where the rash was) with water that had a little vinegar in it for a couple days and presto the rash cleared right up. The dilute vinegar didn't bother her so it might be worth a try, can't hurt!


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

I have been following this saga since the beginning (I'm the pp with the photos of my daughter's skin), and just wanted to pop in to offer a big hug. I hope that his skin improves soon!


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## shamom (Mar 16, 2009)

Hey there,
My DS had a very similar appearing skin condition starting at around 3 weeks. His ped said it was "benign candidal folliculitis". We had no other symptoms of yeast problems but his responded beautifully when I started taking Florastor (a good competitive yeast, cheapest at drugstore.com) twice daily per the pediatrician. Then I stopped the florastor and the acne came back worse.
He's now 3 months old and we have occasional bouts of acne but only when I skip our probiotics, esp his (Klaire Labs infant formula, 1/8tsp daily).
I have minimized, but not eliminated, wheat and sugar (even in fruit) as these are things the yeast thrives on. I no longer take Florastor but use other probiotics (again, Klaire labs but Jarrow products have worked as well, and then there's ThreeLac, love it).
I really would try to approach it as a yeast problem. It is very under diagnosed as Candida lives naturally in the body and many think that if you aren't seeing thrush and diaper rash and sore nips that it couldn't be yeast, but it really can manifest in so many forms.
Good luck!
And about trying to explain his skin to people, just forget it, you see the zits so clearly, most people just see an adorable little guy smiling back at them.
xoxo


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## robynholly (Aug 24, 2008)

I would take him to see a cranial sacral therapist. From what I have learned skin issues are related to the lymphatic system. I bet the CS therapist could really help.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Thoughts added to end of first post.


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## sugarpop (Feb 12, 2009)

I think your little man is so adorable! I am glad to hear you are getting pictures done. You are right he will only be 3 months once. His skin will clear up and has alot already. I just saw this post for the first time today and I have to say on 12/21 his face was so clear and that was from using a lotion I think. You are right if it was bothering him you would know. If he isn't rubbing his face on everything then it isn't itching, I wouldn't think.

Sophia had dry skin and rubbed her face against me nonstop. I put some Shea Butter on and wala all better! I know Shea Butter is also good for Excema (sp?) if you want something else to try...but again I am glad to hear that you are getting your pictures done.

Good luck!!! And maybe you can share your photo shoot with us!!


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## philomom (Sep 12, 2004)

Detergent check?

What are you using on his clothes, burp cloths etc....? That looks more like a reaction to me than plain old baby acne.

Use the perfume and dye free stuff.... no fabric softeners or dryer sheets at all.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sugarpop* 
And maybe you can share your photo shoot with us!!











http://www.bephotoonline2.com/gallery.php?gid=975


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

These are beautiful! What a smiley guy. And I don't know if it's the lighting, some editing or just that it's getting better, but his skin looks GREAT in the photos


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## cowboyjunki (Apr 3, 2005)

I read your thoughts at the end of your first post and I think your change in attitude is awesome! And the pictures are sooooooooo cute! What a great little model he is, with that huge smile!


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

I added one more picture from today.


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## marinak1977 (Feb 24, 2009)

I haven't read this thread before - but I just wanted to say he is adorable! Even with pimplies (but hopefully they stay away from now on)


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Well I'm 99% sure that it is dairy now. I had some cheese and some sour cream yesterday evening, and nursed him last night, and now this morning his face is splotchy bright red again.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

Or maybe it could still be chocolate. I forgot that I also had a brownie last night too.


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## jammomma (Nov 17, 2008)

He looks adorable and soooo happy!


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## sugarpop (Feb 12, 2009)

Dairy is a pain! I know because I have given it up for 5 months! And I miss my cheese. Also you might want to be aware that chocolate...has dairy. Even many dark chocolates have it, usually diguised as casin or milk protien but that is the stuff that you have to watch for. It is tricky, did you know that hot dogs hide that stuff?? Not a big hot dog person but I thought I would put that out there in case

You got some really great pics!! He looks great, happy and cute!!


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