Redness in Neck Fold

Updated on August 17, 2008
D.H. asks from Overland Park, KS
33 answers

I've noticed that my three month old has some redness in one of her neck folds. She doesn't have very many folds as she's an average size baby, but she does occasionally get breast milk dripping down her chin and pooling there. It doesn't look dry or like a rash, just red. I'm not sure if it's the milk that is irritating her skin or if it's just chaffing because of the fold. Has anyone else experienced this and is there anything I should be putting on it...lotion, baby powder, etc?

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K.W.

answers from St. Joseph on

Both of my children have been (1 still is) breastfed and this has been a very common problem with both. The way I've dealt with it is wash her neck after each feeding and keep it dry. Throughout the day I would seperate the fold and blow on her neck to keep it dry; it would go away and stay away when I was consistant. The good news is that once they get good neck control and are able to move their head good, that problem goes away. Good luck!

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S.H.

answers from St. Louis on

I have had problems with rashes/redness with my 5 month old son for a while now...mostly on his face and neck. My pediatrician prescribed me a 2.5% hydrocortisone cream for the many skin irritations babies may get. Their skin is just really sensitive.
My pediatrician also said that it may be from being in contact
with something irritating. I started using Dreft laundry detergent and that seems to be helping too.

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M.L.

answers from St. Louis on

You really should wipe her neck area well after all feedings to avoid this. Keep a damp cloth near you while feeding even and wipe as you see it drip.

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M.N.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi D.,
I see that you already have 30 replies, so I may not be adding anything new, but here goes. I am hoping that since you are breast-feeding that you would prefer to clear up her precious neck the natural way. During breast-feeding keep the softest cotton cloth between her fold, then when finished take the cloth away and make sure her fold has cool air to dry her neck completely (I believe someone else mentioned this as well). After her neck is dry, only if you think this will give you and her a little more peace of mind, to sooth the redness, the same lanolin that you use on your breast to keep them soothed and moist and babies are able to nurse upon can also be used on her chaffing neck fold.
Alot of times their little necks just get too hot and sweaty and they just do not have any time to breath and really air is just what they need. Do not assume it is infection, unless your Ped. tells you different.
Blessings, M.

2 moms found this helpful
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C.D.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi. Sounds like she might have the beginnings of a fungal infection.

My granddaughter had the same thing. Hers was caused by a combination of slobber, formula, and wearing a bib. The doc told her to wash the area after each feeding and to keep the area free from moisture as much as possible.

He also suggested an anti-fungal cream. You can purchase the cream over the counter, or possibly your doctor has samples of prescription strength anti-fungal cream which he can give you. You pharmacist is also a good resource for product information.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I have absolutely had babies with red folds! Just paying attention to it, drying / trying to keep dry, a little A&D ointment or olive oil- a few drops rubbed (a little more "all natural")- no big deal!

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E.M.

answers from St. Louis on

I would clean it well, then use an ointment. The best (in my opinion) is Aquafore. It has nothing in it, so it won't irritate even sensitive skin. It will go away, just do your best to keep it clean and use the Aquafore.

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C.G.

answers from Columbia on

When I used to work with infants, I would see this a lot. Just make sure you clean it with mild soap and water when she takes her bath, and maybe once a day with a warm soapy wash cloth. It is probably from the fold not being exposed to as much air and not getting a chance to dry out from milk, moisture, etc. Just keep it clean and then dry with a soft towel. I would NOT use baby powder. I think I read something about some potentially harmful ingredients in baby powder (yes, they even exist in "baby products" so you have to read the label on everything, and if possible, stick to all natural/organic baby products. The more ingredients you are unfamiliar with or can't pronounce, the worse it probably is for your baby).

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P.T.

answers from St. Louis on

I'd start with the baby powder. If the skin is broken, I'd apply a small amount of triple antibiodic while baby is asleep. You don't want her to be able to wipe it into her eyes or mouth.

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V.A.

answers from St. Louis on

Have you heard of Arbonne? The baby products are awesome and got rid of my daughters ezcema. The diaper rash cream works miracles and will probably work on your daughter's neck. Let me know if you'd like to try a sample on her.
V.
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K.M.

answers from St. Louis on

My daughter had that recently and I just cleaned and dried it and the doctor told me to put some vaseline on it. I thought that sounded crazy because I didn't think it would be able to breath and heal....but it worked. Good luck.

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L.F.

answers from Kansas City on

my son had this. I was told to wash the folds gently with warm soapy water every day. I actually also put diaper ointment (zinc oxide) there also but we use it for a lot of things...less toxic than say an antibiotic or cortisone cream in case a child fingers it then sticks fingers in mouth. hope that helps.

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J.K.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughtr is chronically getting this - she has a double chin. Just gently wash it and keep it dry. My doctor said you shouldn't need to do anything else. Less is better :)

Cheers-
First Time mother of a 4 1/2 month old baby girl

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J.B.

answers from St. Louis on

I just addressed this last night with our little one (2 months) who has the same thing.

Our course of treatment: bath, pat dry, apply cornstarch. It has no perfumes like baby powder and shoudl not irritate sensitive skin.

Today, you can't even tell where the redness was.

Good luck!

J

A.S.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter used to get that all the time. Just do your best to keep it clean and dry, especially in this hot/muggy weather. I used to apply a little bit of her diaper cream (Butt Paste) to her neck when it got bad. That usually healed it up within a day.

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K.B.

answers from Wichita on

Good Morning D., It's pretty common to have redness in the little folds. Keep her dry and powder would probably work well. If it gets rashy feeling then a hydrocortisone cream will help alot. We use Equate Hydrocortisone Plus it has 12 moisturizers plus aloe. Our Ped said anything with Aloe and Vita A,D, E will do it.

Love that baby ;)
K. Nana of 5

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K.H.

answers from St. Louis on

My daughter had this problem also. Putting a little A&D Ointment on her neck seemed to help.

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C.S.

answers from Kansas City on

D.,

I would just wash her neck after she is done eating then lift her chin and put baby powder my kids had the same thing.

C.

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M.M.

answers from Kansas City on

Babies tend to get some redness in those folds simply due to regular moisture from their body. If she wines when you touch it or it gets really red or spreads, it's probably nothing to worry about.

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L.F.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter was a summer baby and had this problem and it is simply because she wasn't getting air in between the folds so it allows moisture to get trapped. I was told by my pediatrician to keep it clean and dry and put a dash of baby powder on her neck. However, do NOT use the baby powder with cornstarch in it because that can attract the growth of yeast. If it got too red and bothersome then I could also put a light dab of hydrocortisone creme on it...but use sparingly because of her age. I would also use Dreft detergent for her clothes and pull her chin up off her neck occasionally so it can get air. This problem will eventually go away so not to worry. And, I would not spend the extra time or money on seeing a specialist. Cooler weather is on its way soon and that seems to help alleviate some common baby problems with rashes.

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K.T.

answers from St. Louis on

Try cornstarch. Works well. And if you read the ingredient list is most baby powders, it's cornstarch and purfume.

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L.A.

answers from Topeka on

My son had the same thing. It's like a heat rash. He was a drooler and a sweater. I used baby powder on him. I would just hold his chin up and stretch the fold out and use powder. That worked really well.

Good luck.

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B.S.

answers from Joplin on

Want to hear what us "oldsters" did ? After every bath, immediately rub a little baby oil in all those little neck folds, under the little arm (in the pits) and behind those little ears. All these spots tend to get dry, chaffed and sometimes even cracked if you don't oil them. Be sure to hit any other little "folds" you know baby has, too. Some babies (especially chubby ones) will have folds in their inner thighs and in the diaper area. These are especially important to not forget to keep oiled.
Added bonus is that the baby oil adds to that fresh clean baby smell ! Mmmm .... kissably fresh, clean, happy babies !!
:o)

Also, if baby tends to "leak" formula down her neck, just shove a soft cloth down there during feeding time to catch and the little dribbles. The cloth can be laundered, but her neck stays nice and clean.

Congratulations on the new baby !

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M.F.

answers from Kansas City on

My 9 month old son has the same problem. We were at his pediatrician for his 9 month check up yesterday and she said to put vaseline on it. It creates a barrier from the moisture. Of course he is a little drooly monster from teething. She also suggested corn starch. I'm trying vaseline first. Good luck!

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A.M.

answers from Kansas City on

My little girl had the same problem, only she had tons of neck rolls! I found that if I cleaned it well with water and put a little cornstarch in the crease, it worked wonders to clear up the redness. Also, my pediatrician recommended a 1% hydrocortisone cream and that helped if just the cornstarch wasn't doing the trick.

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A.L.

answers from St. Louis on

My daughter also had this, and our Ped recommended using Lotramin AF because it's some sort of yeast infection (I'm sure the generic version of the same would work). It cleared it up really fast. Of course, you also need to follow the other advice of trying to keep the area dry. But when they are that small, it's hard to do that. She will grow out of it (I guess when she has more head control as someone else pointed out)

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A.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

My little girl had the same thing. We actually use her diaper cream and it cleared up quickly.

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S.M.

answers from St. Louis on

I think you can use a soft lotion on her as she is young and really can get by without any harsh chemical things. Something that does not have perfume in it is probably the best thing and gently rub it in those cute little folds-you should see a difference really soon like right after her bath. In the summer heat the powder just gets cakey and will not stop the irritation that makes her uncomfortable. If it is terribly red you can always ask your doctor to look at it and suggest something-my guess it will be gentle.

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K.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Consider taking your child to an allergist. They will tell you what she is allergic too. I took my kids because the pediatrician didn't know (too general) but would give treatment without telling me what was causing the irritation. The information is kept in my kids' file at school. :) Is someone kissing her on her neck/chin with lipgloss/lipstick---certain ones have stuff in it? Is something on the towel--detergent? kid's jewelry? My neck turns red with certain metals in jewelry. She may have execema? I hope this helps...

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M.B.

answers from Kansas City on

I know you have already gotten many good replies and I have not read them all, but I did experience this with both of my little ones. Unless it seems bothersome for her I would say that it is just from moisture being trapped there. I made sure that with mine I tried to wipe out any milk, sweat, fuzzies, etc. that got trapped there everyday and then gently patted it dry after each feeding and try to keep it dry inbetween. It will clear up on its own as she gets older and doesn't have so many folds (but enjoy them now, because they are so cute!) I think I would avoid putting anything on them unless you REALLY think it is more then just chafing because of her age, and who needs extra meds anyways?! but what you describe sounds just like what I dealt with as well.

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M.G.

answers from Kansas City on

D., Keeping the area clean and dry, then adding a little baby powder will take care of the problem.

M.

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J.V.

answers from Topeka on

It's a yeast infection! You need to use a yeast cream. Your pediatrician can prescribe her miconazole cream that is ok for a baby. It's a yeast infection though!

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G.C.

answers from Springfield on

Have you tried baby powder? If it is from moisture, that would help keep it dry. If not, it won't hurt to try it!

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