Bristles on the back of a newborn: how does it look and how to clean it with alternative means?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Bristles in newborns are the appearance of hair in a child on the body after birth, which is caused by certain features of the structure of the skin. The very definition of "bristles" is not so precise as to say about such a feature. But despite this, parents are often frightened by the state of the child, which requires a detailed consideration of this issue.
Epidemiology
Statistics of the spread of this problem suggest that less than 11% of newborn babies have such a feature. More than 67% with this problem are premature babies. The clinical manifestations of bristles disturb children in 69% of cases, which indicates the need for timely diagnosis of such a problem.
Causes of the bristles in newborns
Bristles are nothing more than increased hair on the body of a newborn baby. Most often this is not a pathology and does not require any treatment, but it is due to the developmental features of the skin of the baby and its appendages.
The skin of a child consists of the epidermis and the actual dermis or skin. It is in the dermis contains the beginnings of sweat, sebaceous glands and hair follicles. The development of the upper and lower layers of the skin is uneven. First, the epidermis develops, which consists of a layer of thin cells. Then the dermis develops and its contents, including hair. The dermal hair of the child in utero develops very intensively, and over time they are amenable to amniotic fluid. This leads to the fact that before the birth of the child no extra hair in the form of bristles should not already be. But there are times when this is not so.
The causes of bristles in newborns are most often prematurity. Very often preterm infants are born with stubble. The pathogenesis of this process is that the hair of the premature baby has no time to exfoliate before the birth of the child. Therefore, immediately after birth, the baby has a slightly increased hairiness, which is normal. If it is a question of a bristle at the full-term child, it can arise because of the peculiarities of hair development in children. Sometimes the hair on the skin of the baby can be too thick, so they can not get through the skin and can shine through in the form of bristles. This is considered a feature of the individual development of each child and is associated with residual developmental effects of the skin itself in the process of ontogenesis. Such hair can be considered a rudimentary remnant of the development of the human body.
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Risk factors
Risk factors for the development of such a problem are very difficult to determine, since there is no clear reason for the occurrence of this pathology. But we can say that the probability of development of bristles in premature babies and in children, whose parents at birth had such a problem, is great.
Symptoms of the bristles in newborns
The symptoms of bristles very often bring discomfort to a newborn baby. The first signs appear in the first week of the child's life. In this case, the main symptom is the child's anxiety and discomfort, especially if the bristles are placed in places of contact with clothing. This is due to the fact that the bristles are coarse hair follicles, which normally should not be on the body, break through the tender skin of the baby. By themselves, these hairs are hard, so when they break through the skin, it causes itching, burning in the area. Therefore, one of the main symptoms is that the child can not lie quietly because of the unpleasant sensations that this bristle causes.
What does bristles look like in newborns? It has this name, because the tender skin of the baby in this pathology really resembles bristles. Rough black hairs make their way through the skin and it looks like large black dots that are drawn on a specific area of the baby's skin. These black dots can be placed absolutely on any part of the skin, but most often - these are the hands, shoulders, back, hamstrings. The bristles on the back of a newborn are most often and cause many symptoms. This is due to the fact that when the child lies, it causes a lot of unpleasant sensations, burning in the area of skin irritation.
No other symptoms should be observed, especially systemic manifestations.
Complications and consequences
The consequences after the bristle, as a rule, no. These phenomena pass by the end of the first month of life and no increased hairiness after this does not happen, regardless of the sex of the child. Complications can be when trying to squeeze out these points or somehow incorrectly treat them. Then you can put an infection and provoke infectious skin lesions of a newborn baby.
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Diagnostics of the bristles in newborns
Differential diagnosis
Differential diagnosis of bristles in newborns should be performed with lanugo. Lanugo - this is pushkovye hair on the skin of a child, especially premature. Normally, after birth, they are not reduced on the baby's back between the shoulders. These hairs are short and touch very soft. In contrast to lanugo, bristles are large black dots that can even slightly touch. These are the main differences between these two states.
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Treatment of the bristles in newborns
Treatment of bristles in newborns is not always necessary, but since parents are concerned about this issue, there are many alternative ways. Drugs for the treatment of bristles do not exist, since this condition is caused by the peculiarities of development.
How to withdraw bristles from newborns? There are several alternative ways to solve this problem.
- Medication from honey can be made by mixing half a teaspoon of thick honey and three drops of aloe. This should be mixed thoroughly in a water bath. After this, you need to cool this solution a little and make a round lump. This lump needs to roll in the field of bristles, which contributes to its rolling and softening of the baby's skin.
- They make "skates" for the skin from flour. To do this, take a teaspoon of flour and add a couple of drops of breast milk. Having mixed it, you will get a lump that needs to roll out the area of manifestation of pathology.
- Use olive oil for an easy massage of the skin, on which there are manifestations of bristles. This helps to soften this area and hairs can safely pierce through the skin, not bringing unpleasant sensations.
- It is very important with bristles to regularly bathe the baby and use after that child's softening times or oils.
Modern evidence-based medicine does not recommend doing anything with the newborn's bristles, since it is believed that this condition itself will pass closer to three weeks of life.
Prevention
Prevention, as such, is a very difficult task, since it is very difficult to envisage the development of bristles in a child. More relevant here are the measures of secondary prevention, which consist in minimal interventions from the parents. You can not in any case squeeze out these black dots, as this can cause a complication.
Forecast
The prognosis of the development of bristles in the future suggests that this pathology passes without a trace, and there is no connection in the future with increased hairiness. Complications are very rare, only with the wrong actions on the part of parents.
Bristles in newborns are the appearance of black dots under the baby's skin or coarse rigid hair rudiments. This is due to the peculiarities of the development of a particular child and it is difficult to foresee this pathology. The best treatment is minimal intervention on the part of the child, then everything will pass without a trace in itself.