Index
If you do a quick search on the Internet about the main conditions that affect babies, you will find several huge lists full of information, probably one different from the other.
This does not happen by chance, but because babies are really fragile and are affected by different types of viruses, bacteria and conditions that we cannot always avoid or completely control. This is the case with milium , for example, which although it can appear in people of any age, it is much more common in newborns.
But how to act when there is a milium in the newborn? Can this be serious? Why does he appear? How to deal with it? Thinking about all these questions, we decided to write a text to explain each of these points to you.
What is Milium?
The milium is a type of white lump that usually appears on the baby’s face. They are quite common, with more than 2 million cases per year in Brazil. It is characterized by white or yellowish balls that appear close to the baby’s eyes, nose and mouth.
The eye region is usually the most affected, but these rashes can appear anywhere on the body. This type of skin rash is very confused with blackheads and pimples , but you should not squeeze the milium, because it contains keratin, the protein that constitutes the skin.
Despite being more common in newborns, milium can appear in people of any age, being more difficult to remove when the person is older. In addition, with the age difference, the type of milium that a person develops is also different.
Why does Milium appear in the Newborn?
Milium is caused by an accumulation of dead skin in small bags, which are these rashes that we are able to observe. This dead skin is believed to be trapped due to clogging of the sebaceous and sweat glands .
Even so, it is more common for milium to appear in areas of healing, as the renewal of skin cells in these regions is greater. There are some risk factors that can cause a person to develop milium, such as skin diseases, severe burns, bruises and long exposure to the sun.
Types of millet
As we said earlier, the types of milium have to do with age. Although some types appear only in adults, there is a possibility that all types appear in a newborn, depending on the conditions in which it is found. The three types of milium that we can observe in newborns are:
- millet Neonatal
- millet primaries
- millet secondaries
Let’s talk more deeply about each one and explain how each one can appear in newborn babies.
millet Neonatal
It usually happens because the baby’s sweat glands are not yet fully developed and end up trapped in these small bags. Located mainly in the nose area, this type of milium in the newborn usually disappears within a few weeks and occurs with about 50% of babies.
millet primaries
Also quite common in newborns, the primary milium can also appear in adults. Rashes can also appear on the nose, forehead, cheeks and even the genital region. It also disappears easily and has no discomfort beyond the aesthetic.
millet secondaries
This type of milium can also affect newborns to adults, although it is a little more rare in babies so small. It is caused by some trauma that the skin has suffered as a burn or bruise. Milium appears normally during the healing process.
How to Treat Milium in Newborns?
Although there are several treatments such as peels, skin cleaning and even surgical removal of the milium, when it comes to a newborn, no type of treatment is necessary.
This is because the milium does no harm and the biggest concern that people have as it has to do only with the aesthetic issue , which is understandable, but that does not apply to the reality of newborns. Firstly, because the milium in a newborn usually disappears quickly in a few weeks and also because it makes no sense to expose a baby to products just for the removal of rashes, especially when it is something totally harmless.
How to prevent it from appearing?
In newborns, it is recommended not to try to prevent the milium from appearing, as this type of procedure also involves cleaning the skin and applying products that can harm the baby.
The milium does not hurt and disappears in a very short time in babies, so just let these rashes appear and disappear naturally, without having to make major interferences or try to prevent this from happening. As we mentioned earlier, about 50% of babies are born with neonatal milium. It is very normal.
Small problems like milium in the newborn will always arise. And although this specifically is harmless to babies, it is very common and even healthy for some of them to happen, as they help to strengthen the baby’s immune system and can serve as a warning for more serious problems that may appear later.
But that does not mean that you do not have to take proper care, quite the opposite. It is exactly in those moments that you will be put to the test to take care and make your baby get better quickly. We must always be careful and, even with small and seemingly harmless things, we must do everything so that the baby’s health comes first.
See Also: Washing Your Hands to Get the Baby – Necessity or Exaggeration?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
