Question

What are "kiss bumps"? My 6-week-old baby recently developed a rash on her cheeks and ears. The rash is raised and dry and looks like pinkish pimples on the cheeks and flesh-toned ones on the earlobes. It doesn ¿t appear to irritate her. Several people at my church said that the rash comes from my husband and me kissing her. We ¿ve applied Westcort cream to the areas once a day and bumps are drying up. Is this appropriate?

Answer

Your baby most likely has neonatal (or newborn) acne. This very common condition appears within the first few weeks of life and usually disappears on its own over several months.

Newborn acne is triggered by the hormones the baby acquires from Mom (across the placenta), and as these hormones disappear from her bloodstream, the condition improves.

Westcort is a steroid cream and, although it is a relatively weak one, should not be used on newborn acne as it may prolong the duration of the condition (even though some mild improvement may be seen while it is being applied).

Many other rashes could crop up for a 6-week-old baby; if this rash persists, you may wish to discuss it with your pediatrician. Most important, neither your skin contact nor that of Dad is likely to contribute to this rash, so continue to enjoy showering your bundle of joy with love and kisses.