WHAT IS NEWBORN RASH? PHOTOS & FACTS

I recently asked a new dad if there was anything that he felt unprepared for after the birth of his baby, and he said that he wished he had been warned about newborn rash. More new parents need to be forewarned about this common rash, because it looks horrible, and it can cause a lot of unnecessary worry.

The official medical name for newborn rash is “erythema toxicum neonatorum”.

Erythema. 

Toxicum. 

Neonatorum.

Yikes.

No wonder why everyone just refers to it as “newborn rash”.

Erythema toxicum neonatorum makes it sound like your newborn should be quarantined.

Not only does the name make the rash sound really bad, but the rash can also look really bad.

It wasn’t easy finding a lot of good photos of newborn rash because it’s such a general term. If you Google images of “newborn rash”, so many different kinds of rashes are shown. Even Googling “erythema toxicum neonatorium” for photos wasn’t very fruitful.

Newborns have very interesting and sensitive skin. This study found that during the first three days of life, newborns can have up to 34 different skin conditions, and erythema toxicum neonatorium, or “newborn rash”, is one of the more common ones.

So, continue reading to learn more about newborn rash, and to see the most accurate photos of it.

WHAT DOES NEWBORN RASH LOOK LIKE?

What does it look like?

Scary.

It’s normal to be freaked out when you see this rash on your baby.

Newborn rash is pink blotches mostly on the chest, abdomen, and the back, but it can also be on the face, arms, and legs.

In the middle of the blotches there may be little raised spots, and those spots may have a little pus or fluid in them.

Basically, newborn rash looks like bug bites.

Newborn rash is “transient”, meaning the rash moves around. During one diaper change the rash will be in one area, and the next diaper change it will be in a different area.

Newborn rash usually starts when babies are only one or two days old. If you had a hospital birth and you’re still there when the rash appears, your nurse or pediatrician can confirm that your baby’s rash is simply a “newborn rash”.

IS NEWBORN RASH ITCHY OR PAINFUL?

It definitely looks like it would be, doesn’t it?!

Obviously, newborns can’t tell us if their newborn rash is itchy or painful, but it’s widely believed by the medical community that newborn rash doesn’t bother babies at all.

And I would agree with that.

Out of all of the thousands of newborns that I’ve cared for that have newborn rash, they never act more fussy or uncomfortable than babies who don’t have newborn rash.

WHY DO BABIES GET NEWBORN RASH?

No one knows why babies get newborn rash. Some studies speculate that it’s an immune response, but nothing has been proven.

More studies should be done to help find out why this rash happens, but there’s not a lot of money for research because the rash doesn’t appear to cause discomfort and it goes away on its own very quickly, so there’s not a lot of incentive to find a treatment.

ARE CERTAIN BABIES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE NEWBORN RASH?

Up to half of all newborns will have newborn rash, but it’s definitely more common in some babies more than others.

Studies show that for some unknown reason, white baby boys who are born after 37 weeks are most likely to have newborn rash, and I can definitely confirm that to be true in my own personal experience.

I used to work in the newborn intensive care unit and it was rare to see premature babies born before 37 weeks have newborn rash.

This interesting study showed that for some reason newborn rash happens less in the wintertime.

HOW LONG DOES NEWBORN RASH LAST?

Newborn rash doesn’t last very long at all. It comes and goes really quickly. It will usually pop up within the first day or two after birth, and it will go away on its own in about one to two weeks.

WHAT HELPS WITH NEWBORN RASH?

Newborn rash can look really bad and scary, so it’s understandable that you want to help it go away as soon as possible (especially if you were planning on getting portraits taken during the first week!), but unfortunately there’s no medical treatment or medicine to help newborn rash go away quicker.

I’ve seen parents apply moist, cool washcloths and/or lotion in an effort to get rid of the rash, but unfortunately it never seems to make a difference.

TO SUM THINGS UP…

Newborn rash looks bad, but thankfully it’s not harmful.

However, always contact your pediatrician if your newborn has newborn rash and they also have a fever (i.e.- temperature over 100.4F), is over 24 hours old and is overly tired and does not wake up easily to feed, and/or if the mother has a history of herpes simplex/varicella viral infection, bacterial pyoderma, or candidacies. These are risk factors and signs and symptoms that the newborn rash may be mistaken for something else more serious.

If your baby doesn’t have any of those risk factors or signs or symptoms, hang in there.

Just let it run its course, and before you know it, it will be gone!

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Disclaimer:
The content that I share on Purely Postpartum is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I encourage you to always seek the advice of your own physician or other qualified health care professional regarding any medical questions or conditions.