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Acne Treatment and Prevention

Is baby acne more likely if the baby is being breast fed?

My daughter is 4 1/2 weeks old and she has got these fine bumps all over her face and neck. I'm pretty sure that its not a heat rash as I make sure that she's not to hot or overdressed. I was searching for the answer to my question and I had seen that somebody had said that the bumps were baby acne from hormones passed by the mother and that it's most visible in breast-fed babies. Is that true? If so, how long till the bumps clear?

Public Comments

1. Huh. I've never heard that, but it may be true.
Try squirting it with some breast milk, I did that with my son and it cleared right up.

2. I've never heard of it being more in breastfed babies, but I know lots of babies have it. the hormones I've heard it attributed to are the pregnancy hormones that crossed the placenta. it will clear after a couple weeks.

3. Yes, actually I have heard that before. The hormones can be passed through the mother milk. Don't put anything on the acne, just leave it be, and it should clear up on it's own in a few weeks.

4. It will most likely fade in the next month or two. Her pores are clogged and will unclog on their own. Just wash her face with plane water and not too often. I nursed my baby and saw many formula fed babies with much worse acne. It will go away in short time, I know it's a hard to see your perfect angel with unsightly blemishes but it doesn't last long.

5. I was told it is from the mother's hormones wearing off that were shared inutero, not ones that could be shared currently. Sometime between 4-6 weeks, mom's hormones in baby's system start to wear off and the acne appears. It has nothing to do with bottle or breast feeding. Both of my child were cleared up within 2-3 weeks. Good luck!

6. I always heard that baby acne was a result of the baby's skin being exposed to the outside air after being in utero for so long. I don't think it has to do with breast feeding (I could be wrong); formula fed babies get baby acne too though. my son got baby acne around 3 or 4 weeks and it cleared up within the month -- probably sooner, if I remember correctly. it's short lived though.