Pickle Barrel
I’ve noticed spots on my baby’s nose. My sister tells me this is normal, but I’m still not sure when I should pay a visit to the doctor, and when I should learn to stop fretting. Any suggestions?
YOU HAVE FINALLY arrived home with your newborn — excited but exhausted — nothing could be greater. Nothing, until you suddenly realize that you’re going to have to make all the decisions about your baby, whose only way of communicating with you is by crying.
You’ll soon notice little things about your baby and wonder if there is a problem. Your self-appointed “advisory staff” often only fuels your anxiety. Over the past 39 years of practice, I have encountered approximately 50 concerns of new parents about their babies that are, in fact, non-concerns. Here are some of the more common ones that affect the skin, ears, nose, throat and eyes.
The skin: Most babies are born with dry, flaky skin. But no moisturizer is required. Varying sizes of red blotches with a white sport in the centre and irregular edges are called erythema toxicum. They will disappear within two to three weeks of age. Pink blotches on the baby’s upper eyelids are called angel kisses, and the one at the back of the neck is called a stork bite — also, nothing to worry about. Varying sizes of purple discolourations that look like bruises may appear anywhere on the body. They are most common on the lower back. These are called Mongolian spots and will disappear within two to three years. Numerous white little spots on the baby’s nose are called milia. At around two weeks of age, numerous little “pimples” on the baby’s cheeks are actually baby acne; no treatment is required for this, either. Between the eyebrows there may be a reddish discolouration that spreads up toward the forehead — it may resemble a torch flame. This will slowly disappear by three years of age. Bluish veins on the upper side of the nose will also disappear in time.
The ear, nose and throat: Sneezing (and hiccuping) is normal. Under the baby’s tongue is a little band of tissue called the frenulum. As long as the baby is able to protrude his or her tongue as far as the lower lip, there should be no interference with latching to the breast or, later, with speech. A white-coated tongue is just milk residue — clean it with a washcloth if you wish. As for your baby’s stuffy nose: if the baby can suck while feeding without having to stop to catch his or her breath, then the nasal stuffiness is bothering you, and not the baby. So no treatment is required. You do not have to remove mucus from inside the baby’s nose. Do not remove the wax in the ear. Remember: nothing smaller than your elbow should ever enter the ear canal.
I hope I’ve reduced some of your
concerns, in order to make life a
little less stressful while you are
adjusting to your most precious gift
— your baby. Stay tuned for more
newborn tips (I’ll be covering the
respiratory and circulatory system). 
Post City Magazines’ kids health writer, Dr. Mickey Lester, has been a Toronto pediatrician for more than 30 years and is the former Chief of Pediatrics at Trillium Health Centre. You can hear him on CFRB, Sunday mornings, from 9 to 10 a.m..
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