🔴Erythema Toxicum Neonatorum🔴

So, after my post on the ‘Big Shed’ I thought I might talk about the second biggest skin issue (possibly the first even) that commonly pops up in new tiny humans……

ERYTHEMA TOXICUM NEONATORUM……quite an alarming skin reaction to being born. When your baby is born, oftentimes (in between 40-70% of all babies) in the first couple of weeks, but usually in the days after birth, they will come up with weird spotty areas, red blotchiness and ninja spots that pop up in one place, only to disappear and pop up somewhere else again. Often very noticeable on face and trunk. This is sometimes charmingly called ‘flea bitten appearance’ and can disappear and reoccur throughout the first few weeks of life.

Many parents start photographing their newborn with a filter at the point when ET rash rears its head as it is very very obvious in some babies, like a throw forward to puberty.

It often looks alarming, and midwives will often get calls or messages about baby’s rashes when the baby is actually otherwise well. Yep, ET rash.

So why does it happen and what is it??

Well, we don’t actually really know EXACTLY.

What we DO know is that the ET rash usually affects healthy babies with a well functioning immune system…..which is reassuring!

It seems more common in boys, babies born at term and with a birth weight over 2500g. It’s also more likely in babies born with meconium in the waters and it’s curiously less likely in babies born in the winter. Studies suggest that perhaps it is simply a reaction to suddenly being colonised with commensal bacteria, also known as our microbiome, i.e. all the good bacteria we acquire at birth from the vagina and the parent’s skin and surrounding environment. There is some call to take away the ‘toxicum’ from its name as it is not actually ‘toxic’ or infectious or infective as such.

So, the bottom line……..Erythema neonatorum is simply a reaction to being born well and having a working immune system.

YAY!

It does not generally respond to treatment, so experimentation with creams, oils or breastmilk is not necessary…..it might even flare up more if aggravated further with lotions and potions.

So, as long as your baby is well, and there are no OTHER concerns, this condition is totally self limiting and does not need treatment. It will eventually just go away. Of course there are also other, more sinister skin conditions in newborns, so if you are in ANY doubt that your baby is well, please contact your midwife or trusted HCP for reassurance.