Why does the newborn have red skin on the priest and face?

Red skin in a newborn can be right after birth, which can, to some extent, frighten parents without reason. But such a symptom can appear in a newborn and after a while, then, most likely, it is already a sign of pathology. Therefore, parents should know in which cases this is dangerous, and in which it is normal.

Epidemiology

Statistics of the distribution of physiological erythema suggests that more than 90% of children have it. As for toxic erythema, this happens in 11% of cases. Other pathological conditions with manifestations of red skin occur in 23% of children.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]

Causes of the red skin in a newborn

The physiology of the newborn is not the same as that of an adult child. After birth, the baby takes time to ensure that all organs and systems outside the uterus become fully functional and become full. During this period, some babies show all kinds of skin color changes, spots, swelling and other changes, many of which look very strange. Most of them would indeed be strange if they took place in the elderly person, but they are normal or at least insignificant when they occur in the first two weeks of a child's life.

Newborns always have many changes immediately after birth, from skin color to some of its qualities. Some of these changes are only temporary and can be part of the physiological phenomena that each child passes after birth. Some skin changes, such as birthmarks, can be permanent. Understanding the physiological and pathological changes in the newborn can help you understand if the baby is healthy or not.

The color of the child's skin can vary greatly depending on the age, race or ethnic group of the child, the temperature, and whether the child is crying. The color of the skin in infants is often changed under the influence of the environment or changes in the state of health. The skin of the newborn will vary depending on the length of the gestation period. Premature babies have thin, light pink skin, maybe a blue tint. The skin of a full-term baby is thicker and immediately becomes red. By the second or third day of the baby, the skin lightens slightly and may become dry.

The pathogenesis of the physiological reddening of the skin in a newborn consists in changes in its blood circulation immediately after birth. When a child is born, the skin has a dark red color, even closer to the violet color. This is due to the fact that in any case during childbirth the child had a temporary hypoxia. And because the child did not breathe, carbon dioxide was not released at this time. Carbon dioxide along with red blood cells gives such a shade of skin, so all children are born with bright red skin. When a child begins to breathe air, the skin color changes to lighter, and then becomes pink. This reddening of the skin usually begins to disappear on the first day. The arms and legs of the child can remain bluish for several days. This is a normal response to the child's immature circulation. However, the blue coloration of other parts of the body is not normal. Over the next six months, your child's skin will develop its permanent color.

The face of the newborn can also look red, especially when the child is restless when he eats or cries. Immediately after birth, the baby often cries and moves the limbs, and his face usually turns red or reddish-violet, regardless of ethnicity. Later a person can become lighter until the moment when the child becomes hungry or tired, which leads to crying and the face can again turn red. All this is due to the fact that in addition to the features of the skin structure and  physiological erythema after childbirth, newborns have a special reaction to all stimuli. The sympathetic nervous system of a newborn child, which controls digestion, heart rhythm, breathing, sweating and dilated blood vessels, begins to adapt to everything after birth. It does not regulate the functions of the body very well, including the tone of the vessels of the skin. This leads to the fact that any emotional experience in the newborn child activates the sympathetic nervous system, which can not rationally regulate the tone of the vessels of the skin, which leads to erythema. This is the normal response of a newborn to an excited emotional state.

Thus, the physiological causes of red skin in a newborn are the reaction of the skin and respiratory organs to the first respiratory movements, as well as the response of the nervous system to stimuli.

In some cases, a red face can signal a problem. A child who has overheated may develop a red face or a red heat rash on his forehead. If you leave a newborn in direct sunlight, a sunburn may occur.

There are cases when the skin has red spots or spots of a different color, in which case the cause may be hemangioma or congenital birthmarks. In such cases, always need to show the doctor, because all the spots on the look can be similar, but their characteristics are different.

It is necessary to know one more pathological reddening of the skin, in which there may be other symptoms on the background of pronounced redness and swelling of the skin. The cause of this condition can be toxic erythema.

Among other causes of red skin in a newborn baby can be diaper dermatitis, diaper rash, infectious skin lesions.

[8], [9]

Risk factors

Risk factors for the development of pathological conditions, in which the child's skin turns red, are the violation of hygienic measures for skin care, as well as the pathology of childbirth, which can lead to prolonged hypoxia of the child.

[10], [11], [12]

Symptoms of the red skin in a newborn

It must be remembered that the physiological reddening of the skin in a newborn child does not bring him any unpleasant sensations. Therefore, if there is a simple reddening of the skin without a rise in body temperature, without disturbances in sleep and appetite, then this is normal. Differential diagnosis of pathological and physiological conditions associated with red skin is carried out precisely according to these criteria.

Symptoms of red skin in a newborn with toxic erythema have some features. The first signs of such erythema usually appear within two to three days after birth. Typically, a rash appears on the face or limbs and initially manifests as red skin. Then the elements of the rash turn into a pustule with a "spotted" appearance. Such red blisters on the skin of newborns are characteristic of toxic erythema, and in the case of a benign character such erythema does not have a disruption to the general condition. If there is a fever associated with a rash, further evaluation is necessary.

It can often be seen that the newborn has red skin on the pope. This is a classic manifestation of diaper dermatitis. The area of the diapers is always warm and moist, and the skin in this area is tender. Sensitive skin on the child's rear can be irritated by close contact with urine and a chair in diapers. In this case, the skin appears flat red spots in the area of diapers. Such reddening on the pope tends to occur when you add new foods to your diet while breastfeeding, which changes the composition of his stool.

A red spot on the skin of a newborn is most often a sign of a birthmark or hemangioma. Many children are born with birthmarks, some of them can disturb parents. Some birthmarks disappear over time, while others remain with the child for life. Most birthmarks are harmless.

There are many kinds of birthmarks; only the doctor can tell if the sign that bothers you is the birthmark, and if so, it is the kind that will disappear by itself or not.

Hemangioma is a pink, red or purple birthmark. They may not appear at birth, but often develop in the first two months. Such hemangiomas are caused by the concentration of dilated tiny blood vessels called capillaries. They usually occur on the head or neck. They can be small, or they can cover large areas of the body. Such red spots do not change color when pressed softly and do not disappear with time. They can become darker and can bleed when a child becomes an adult. Cavernous hemangiomas are more common in premature infants and in girls. These birthmarks often grow in size for several months, and then gradually begin to disappear.

There are still similar to the hemangioma spots, which are caused by the expansion of the vessels, which quickly pass by themselves.

Complications and consequences

The consequences can be with diaper dermatitis, when the irritated skin becomes inflamed. A child may develop a secondary yeast or bacterial infection that needs to be treated.

Complications of hemangiomas in their superficial location can be in case of injury. Then bleeding can develop. With the location of large hemangiomas on internal organs can also be internal bleeding.

[13], [14], [15], [16], [17]

Diagnostics of the red skin in a newborn

Diagnosis of red skin in a newborn is performed visually by a doctor. All the elements of the rashes have a characteristic appearance. As a rule, tests for such types of rashes do not occur. Instrumental diagnosis is required in case of confirmation of the diagnosis of hemangioma. Since such dilated vessels can be on the internal organs, ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity organs and retroperitoneal space is performed.

[18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24]

Treatment of the red skin in a newborn

Physiological erythema treatment does not require. With toxic erythema, if there is no fever and other symptoms, then the lesion disappears after a week, and no treatment is required.

Treatment of diaper dermatitis is, first of all, to avoid overheating and re-irritation of the skin. Therefore, it is often necessary to change your baby's diaper, and it is better that he most of the time be without him. You can use a soft diaper or ointment, for example, zinc oxide. They create a barrier, protecting the skin from irritants and allowing the areas of red inflamed skin to heal faster. Napkins can aggravate the phenomena of diaper dermatitis, so when your child has a rash, it is best to wash it more often. If the rash deteriorates or does not respond after a week, consult a doctor. Medicines that can be used in such cases are local antiseptic ointments and powders - Desitin, Sudocrem, Bepanten.

Alternative treatment of skin redness can be used in selected cases. At the phenomena of diaper dermatitis or with skin irritation, herbal therapy can be used. To do this, use trays with a turn, chamomile, oak bark, which have antiseptic properties.

In the treatment of hemangiomas, tactics of waiting are always chosen because they tend to reverse development. As a rule, it is impossible to predict how soon a hemangioma will disappear. The smaller they are, the faster they disappear, but this can take many years. Most hemangiomas do not need treatment, but if they occur in certain areas, such as the face (especially around the eyes or lips) or the genital area, they can cause a disruption to the function of this organ. The most effective way to treat hemangiomas is a special type of laser. Laser radiation is able to remove hemangiomas in the least traumatic way for several sessions. This is especially true when the hemangioma is located on the face and surgical intervention will be traumatic.

Surgical treatment is performed when large hemangiomas are located on internal organs, and there is a high risk of internal bleeding.

Prevention

Preventing the appearance of red skin inflammatory in certain areas, for example in the diaper area, is the proper care of the child. It should be borne in mind that the skin of a newborn is very tender, and requires daily cleaning and care.

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Forecast

The prognosis of physiological reddening of the skin is always favorable. Toxic erythema also should pass within two weeks. For most red spots on the skin, the prognosis is also favorable, since they tend to reverse development.

Red skin in a newborn immediately after birth is a normal phenomenon that requires no action. If a rash appears on the skin against the red, or there are red spots, then in that case, you need to consult a doctor. Any changes that can appear suddenly on the skin that disturb the appetite, sleep, and general condition of the baby can be dangerous and require a doctor's examination.

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