Drool Rash - Austin,TX

Updated on August 31, 2008
M.T. asks from Austin, TX
30 answers

My daughter is 15 weeks old and has a horrible drool rash on her cheeks. At least this is what we think it is. We have not taken her in to the pedi for this, but called and described it to the nurse who said it was drool rash. It is bright red inflamed bumps on her cheeks. It looks so awful!! Has anyone dealt with this? Any tips on how to clear it up? We wipe her face after every feeding (I am breastfeeding) and also put Cetaphil on her cheeks per nurses suggestion.

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So What Happened?

Thank you everyone for all of your tips and suggestions! After trying out every product suggested...and more... The winner is...Aquaphor! At first, I was not willing to pay the price for the Aquaphor because after reading the ingredients it simply looked like expensive Vaseline (which did not work at all). But since we tried everything else and nothing was working we decided to try it out and her cheeks cleared up almost overnight. The rash seems to come and go, but if we keep her slathered in Aquaphor she has her beautiful porcelain skin back!
Thanks so much!!

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K.H.

answers from Houston on

Someone suggested to me to put chap stick on my little one's face when she was going through that stage. I didn't end up needing it, but I guess it worked for that mom. Good luck!

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J.H.

answers from Killeen on

My daughter had that..I used Avenno lotion on hers and it cleared it up with in a week. I dont remember what it was called, but is had a blue cap on it. Hope this helps

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C.B.

answers from Austin on

Every fall my now 4 year old son gets a rash below his bottom lip. At first we thought it was because of drool, but he has long stopped drooling.

Anyway, I have been putting A & D ointment on it since he was a tiny baby and that seems to control it.

I hope that helps.

A little about me:

I am a SAHM of two boys ages 8 (soon to be 9) and 4 (soon to be 5)

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J.K.

answers from Austin on

Hi M., my first son had this.. The best thing to use is something that is called colloital oatmeal.. You can get it at any Walgreens, they have there own brand, if not Aveeno has it. It comes in a box and then it is a powder that comes in a packet.. What you should do is when you bathe her, make a little paste with water and the oatmeal and just spread it around her rash and let it sit there during her bath, and rinse it off at the end of her bath. It works and it is natural.. This is the best stuff for any kind of a rash or allergic skin reaction.... Good luck.. I may be spelling colloital wrong...

2 moms found this helpful
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G.G.

answers from Austin on

I do agree with the poster who mentioned putting breastmilk on it. I like Burt's Bees Baby Cream. It comes in a jar and is great for any kind of irriatated skin (and still allows the skin to breath and heal). It's certainly worth a try. It cures all kinds of things, it seems. Both of my babies got something that sounds like this. However, it was not from drool. It was Keratosis Pilaris and my 4 year old son has outgrown it. My 11 month old daughter has not yet. It does get very red sometimes but not always. However, the bumps stay there, even when it is not red. They feel and look like clogged pores. It's the same skin condition (a form of eczema) that you find on the back of some adults upper arms. Lastly, have you considered eczema? Many of my friend's babies have eczema (very often on the cheeks). Now, your baby is only 15 weeks old (and you are breastfeeding) so who knows if either of these two things are a possiblity. I would definitely take her in so they can see it. Breastfeeding isn't very messy so I am wondering if she's getting enough on her cheeks to cause this. Anyway, just remember, skin issues are VERY common in babies. Don't worry too much about this, I'm sure it will go away.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.W.

answers from Austin on

Aquaphor works on most every rash we've ever encountered including my husband's excema!

1 mom found this helpful
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H.P.

answers from Corpus Christi on

My daughter had the same thing. I used A&D ointment. I figured that if it could clear up a diaper rash it could do it on her face. And it did real well. So that's what I suggest. Make sure you get the ointment and not the cream.

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L.B.

answers from Corpus Christi on

Try a simple over the counter chap stick. It should not hurt your child and is easy to apply. It worked for my son when he needed it. Can keep in purse or pocket. Good luck.

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J.P.

answers from Austin on

My son started drooling at 4 weeks and didn't stop until 3.5 years!!
Try wiping his face with warm water(when he is sleeping) and letting it air dry. Then, apply a thin coat of vaseline (for water proofing). I did this with my son and it worked great. If I used wet wipes, it just made it worse.

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M.S.

answers from San Antonio on

My guess is infant acne....it is awful but generally doesn't last too long.

Good luck

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R.R.

answers from Beaumont on

Use diaper rash cream on her cheeks. When she is clean and dry rub a little bit on her face,chin,etc... If the cream is white, that's o.k., it will be absorbed. It is a liquid barrier so her face won't stay damp. Good luck, worked with all olur familys' kids, g-kids, etc..

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H.W.

answers from Austin on

My precious little angel had it too. I hated it! I heard it was baby acne. They get it from our hormones in the milk. I was told and read on line not to put anything on it, just wash with soap and water. It should pass soon! I'm so sorry!

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J.H.

answers from Houston on

You could also try using Aquaphor cream too. I would not wipe her face with wipes...it makes it dryer! My son who is five is getting dry skin from me wiping his face with wipes if we are out and he made a mess. I would only use water and then put a cream on it constantly!

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S.B.

answers from Killeen on

I had a child in one of my daycare classes who started having rosy inflamed cheeks incidently, when I started working there. Turns out the teacher before me did not use the plastic mats at naptime like I had. So after a few frustrating days of me getting blamed for the redness we finally figured out that it was the mats that were to blame. Does your daughter come into contact with anything plasticy? Such as a napmat...or anything. It could be an allergic reaction to that. We simply put a sheet around the mat..Rash gone for the little girl in my class.

Or it could be a reaction to the sheets. You never know. Do you wash her sheets with a mild detergent??

I hope I helped a little bit at least.

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C.V.

answers from Houston on

M.,

Our son has a rash similar to what you described and it ended up being eczyma. It comes and goes and the Pediatrician prescribed a steroidal ointment to put on it when it is inflammed. Otherwise, we use A LOT of moisturized (lubriderm), usually whenever we change his diaper.
It starts off bright red then begins to dry out and eventually goes away. if we ease up on the moisturizing and keeping his face clean, then it comes back much faster.

Hopefully this is not the case. Good luck to little "Rosy".

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R.M.

answers from Houston on

If you think it is a drool rash because her face is staying damp to wet from the drool, then it is most likely a yeast/fungal infection. My sons got this, too. Yeast looks pink to flame red, with red dots. The worse the infection, the redder it is. Anything that keeps her skin moist will only worsen the rash, so stay away from petroleum products and moisturizing lotions. You need an antifungal cream to get rid of it. I put breastmilk on my boys, which did help, but not completely clear it up. My doctor suggested Corona, which is actually an animal udder ointment. It is an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral cream. I used it on my second son at 6 weeks, so your daughter will be fine with it. It doesn't take much, just a tiny dot. The rash area will feel very raw to her, so be gentle. You can find it at any feed store, or online (just google it). If it is a yeast/fungal (same thing) infection, the Corona will drastically improve it within 24 hours, and clear it up completely in less than a week. BUT, if the area is staying moist from drool, just apply a little bit each day to prevent the rash. You can also use this as a diaper cream, and on cuts to prevent infection. I also use it as my boys get older and drool alot with teething. As a side note, my friend whose baby was in TX. Children's Hospital undergoing chemo for leukemia had this prescribed to her son for the rashes he would get from the chemo.

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H.F.

answers from San Angelo on

If it is up on her cheeks and not just on her chin, it is likely not from drool. It can be caused by a number of things. Has she been on antibiotics recently? If so, it could be yeast. It could also be a skin sensitivity. Try a different soap or don't use fabric softener on her sheets. Monitor what foods she is eating and see if you can find a correlation. If you look at her environment, something the doc can't do, you van narrow down and eventually find the cause. Good luck. Also watch the soap or any lotions you are using, she could be getting contact while nursing.

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T.E.

answers from Houston on

try 1% hydrocortisone.
That worked for drool rash when my kids had it.
Just make sure the medicine doesn't go in a place where she can lick or taste it.(that is what my peditrician said)
ou could also give your DR. a call just to make sure.

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M.M.

answers from Houston on

M., Try putting Aquaphor on her cheeks. My dr. had given me samples of this, however you can get it just about anywhere and it works wonders. Good luck!!

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M.Z.

answers from Austin on

dear M.,
rosy indeed!
i had a simular problem with my 2 tear old. she sucks her thumb and holds a stuffed anuimal to her face 24/7. we had to start washing her face with a warm rag with a little soap, not wipes, your daughter could be having a reaction, every couple of hours. its a chore, but like cradle cap, to get rid of it you have to saty on top of it. you can even use witch hazel on a swab since shes over 1. its all natural astringent and should take inflamation down.
M.

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D.J.

answers from Austin on

Just hang in there and it will go away on its own. Newborns get ALL kinds of rashes on their faces. When my son was about 8 weeks old he got a serious case of baby acne, all over his face, chest, and the back of his head. It looked really bad, but with time it just went away. I've always been told that when they get rashes, if you try to treat it, put stuff on it, etc. it just exacerbates the problem. So I know it looks bad but I bet it will clear up in a few weeks.

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S.R.

answers from Beaumont on

Try vaseline it worked for mine

A.W.

answers from Houston on

Hi M.,
I think you should take her in to let her pedi look at it. My son has eczema & its a constant battle. I would just want to make sure its a drool rash versus eczema because the treatment would be different. Also try the Aveno baby wash on her face. Its mild & great for dry skin & rashes. Hope it gets better soon!

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C.K.

answers from San Antonio on

When my 3 1/2 y/o son gets congested he drools a lot and I just grab whatever I have that is petrolatum based...I usually always have vaseline or neosporin handy. It works wonders!!!

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T.H.

answers from College Station on

M.,

With your daughter being so young, try applying lightly a coat of vaseline(the clear gel)on her face! At this stage they don't touch their face enough to rub it off, and it is safe to use! If your worried, apply it when she sleeps, which depending on how that is going will hopefully help out!

Good Luck

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J.D.

answers from San Antonio on

You might want to try vasoline. keeps the wetness off. At least for the time needed for her little face to heal..

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A.J.

answers from Austin on

My daughter had the same thing. the doctor prescibe vasilin. it work. It keep the face moist. Apply at least 3 times a day. The rash should start going away in a couple of days. let me know if it works.

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L.B.

answers from Odessa on

Dab it with breastmilk after wiping her face and then coat it with Aquaphor. I will be clear overnight!

Works wonders!!

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J.N.

answers from Houston on

Hi M.,

The same thing happened with our 2nd child. It took some time for it to clear up, but it eventually did. Just keep up with what you are doing. Keep it dry (of saliva), and moisturized & it will eventually go away. God bless!

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B.R.

answers from Austin on

My daughter had the same thing and the doctor recommended breast milk and nothing else. It cleared up in like a day or two, I was amazed. I guess at that young of an age I really didn't want to use any store bought things on her delicate skin. Breast milk is like a miracle drug, use it for everything. My daughter even had a clogged tear duct and the doctor said to put the breast milk straight into the eye, worked too. Good Luck!

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