Redness Under the Chin

I work in the NICU (neonatal ICU) and we use nystatin powder or cream. It may be prescription only, but ask you pedi about it or if there is something over the counter you can use.

Hi E.,
My grand daughter has the same issue- we used corn starch instead of any cremes or powders- it has something that is healing and really soothes......besides, a box of corn starch is cheaper than anything else you could use.
good luck and blessings

My oldest daughter would get red irritated skin in the folds of her neck (on the side). I used a little bit of arrowroot powder and it took care of it.

My doctor told me this was yes just a yeast infection. As gross as this sounds, he suggest that you but some female anti itch cream/ yeast infection or anti fungle cream. My son had the same problem. I double checked with the pharamist.

My infant also gets irritations under her chin from moisture. We do our best to give that part of her body some air time (I put her on the floor and hold a toy beyond her head so that she lifts her chin to look at it and gives under her chin some air) but something else that worked for us was to use her butt paste (or any other diaper rash cream you have). That dried it out quickly, too. Good luck!

Hi E..
I am no stranger to this problem. I have had very big round and rolly babies, and my now 8 mo old still has these darn neck rolls and all the problems that come with them. The best thing I suggest is a bath every day or night to wash these out. Lay her down, use a mild soap like Aveeno for baby, and wash them and dry. It is easiest if they are laying down so you can lift their chins..then, I use a little..tiny amount of vasoline to reduce irritation, and to help me get the gunk out easier next time. This helps alot! Just keeping it clean with soap and water is best. I wouldn't reccomend any type of wipes on it b/c the alcohol/fragrance in wipes irritates my daughter's neck..and if you do want to use powder, sprinkle some on your hand away from baby, and rub it on her neck, maybe that will reduce the inhalation. Just some ideas..and she'll grow out of it in no time!

PS.. If it IS YEAST. Confirmed by culture, your pedi should have given you a cream. I would consider switching pedis if you feel that they are not being of help.

Enjoy that baby!

Hi E., Well mt oldest who is almost 17 now used to have the same problem. Amber was a very big baby with A LOT of rolls, my child looked like she was screwed together at every joint. She used to get that very same thing under her neck... I used to put a folded up paper towel under her "neck roll" to catch any fluid that would find its way down to her neck when she was taking her bottle or drooling. This worked inbetween the powderings, just put a little in your hand and then rub onto her neck, esp. at bed time and after her bath... It will soon go away as she starts to grow and get longer... nothing really to worry about... If I remember correctly a little bit of cornstarch or if it gets really bad a little diaper rash cream would do the trick as well... I hope this helps... btw.. Amber is 5' 8" now and about 130lbs grew right out of the michelon baby stage... lol

Oh my goodness, I had that problem too! When mine were little, we lived in Tucson, AZ and it was so hot there that I constantly had to check the boys. What I found finally worked, was diaper rash creme. There are some brands other than Desitin that smelled really good, and it didn't take much to keep them healed. Hope that helps!

My Granddaughter has that and we use A&D ointment that seems to help her that was the advice from her pediatrician

try cornstarch my sisters son would get heat rashes all the time in the summer and her dr recommended corn starch it is safe and will help keep her dry...good luck!

i am really surprised your pedi. did not offer anything more. My daughter was also a little "Rollie Pollie" at that age and we had this same thing occur a lot. My pedi. gave me a prescription Anti-fungal ointment for when it got red and ittitated, but also there is an over the counter type that works just as well.

I'm sorry i don't remember the name, but I just asked our pharmacist and they showed me which one to use on her. It worked just as well as the prescription kind.

So, that's my advice, go talk to your pharmacist about it and they will tell you which Anti-Fugal cream works best on the little ones.

Good luck.

my baby gets the same, defenitly try to keep it dry avoid keep bib up closely when feeding so nothing slips down and pat dry after baths and just sweating. After his baths evrey day I usually pat dry blow with soft towel and alternate with a little baby powder on my hand and Aveno lotion blow till dry. The redness dried up and peeled off.

use baby powder with cornstarch and put it on your hand first then n her neck. or they make a baby powder roll on that would work also.

My oldest had this and the doctor told me to put lotramin on it. Same as you would do for a foot infection.

You can use cornstarch instead of talc. Burt's Bees has a good cornstarch baby powder. Or a bit of Desitin.

They make a powder lotion that I used on my son when he had heat rash on the back of his neck. It goes on like lotion but dos the same thing as baby powder it's was great. Also if she actually has a yeast infection there then it needs to be treated with a medicated ointment from the dr. there is a new one called vusion that they have prescribed for my son for a yeast infection on his hinny.
hth

Hi E.,

The same thing happened to my newborn and I put vaseline under her chin at night- when I knew it would be cool and dry. This would help her skin "recover" over night for the next day of whiping. I actually use vaseline often (no they're not paying me to say this =) I also use it in the winter for the red nose- same thing, overnight to help skin recover. I hope it helps! Best, -esme

Put a little diaper rash ointment on the red areas. Both of mine had the same problem and the ointment helped a lot.

I could be very wrong but, what are you wiping with? If its baby wipes..that might explain the irritation. Those things will dry out the facial skin. They actually make a wipe called "Boogie wipes" that is specifically designed for the face. Perhaps that might help? Or, just a moist terricloth?

Good Luck in your search for the answer,
Margaret :)

I had the same problem with my little girl when she was about that age, hard area to keep clean. Use a wet cotton ball to clean the area daily and then dry it. I also put a little Burts Bee's Diaper Cream on the area, which got rid of it in a day.

i remember when my baby first smelled like cheese! it was behind his ears...they have a crease back there too and all in his neck like you said. it was gross but i bathe him once a day and it went away...espically after some of those rolls were out grown.

Put some diaper cream or vasaline on it to get that moisture barrier on the skin.

Give it some air- lay her on your lap (sitting in a chair) with her head by your knees. Gently let her head fall back, being supported by your calves. That will expose her neck to some air and let you effectively wipe it gently. She will also enjoy the different view of the world :)

And a bib may not hurt...

You might want to dab a little A&D (or other diaper ointment) under her chin. It's a moisture barrier not only for behinds.

Good suggestions, you could also keep a high neck bib on her, to help collect the moisture.

I would try a little Boudreuxs Butt Paste (diaper rash cream) my son had a similar rash under his chin and that stuff worked like a charm. ps-not sure about the spelling-they have it at target.

I know you've received a lot of great advice. I just wanted to add my 2 cents! It sounds like contact dermatitis which is a common skin irritation (similar to diaper rash and heat rash).

I would take caution using the hydrocortisone cream because babies skin is much more sensitive than adult skin and the directions on the package are for adult skin. My son and I both have extremely sensitive skin and they recommend not using hydrocortisone due to the risk of chemical burns.

Instead I would go with the diaper rash cream after bath time. Make sure to dry thoroughly. The hair dryer on cool or low at a safe distance is a great idea! I wish I had thought of that when my son was a baby! During the day just wipe with a soft damp cloth (not a baby wipe) use just water. Then you can reapply the diaper rash cream or a mild baby lotion. That should help clear it up.

Once clear just use baby lotion after bath time, it should keep it from coming back!

My daughter's Dr. had me buy Lotrimin foot cream. Apply liberally to the areas until the redness is gone. Worked like a charm.

I know that I used Hydrocortisone 1% cream for this. Test a small area first to see if there is a reaction first. Good luck.

When my daughter was a baby and and had that redness the DR.told me to use 1% hydrocortisone. It worked.
Good luck.

It may sound a little strange....but I found this helpful. I used a blow dryer on low after the baby's bath. You have to keep it moving and it helps to have an extra set of hands...especially when it comes to the neck. I would have my husband help her keep her chin up. She didn't seem to mind too much and once we started that, the nasty red smelly issue wasn't a problem. Good luck!

OK E., don't laugh but this happened to me. My little girl was breastfed and she got really "fluffy"! If you don't take care of that, the baby could develop an infection. The problem is because of the rolls, the skin doesn't get to dry properly. Here is the funny part, I would bathe the baby washing the area with baby wash and rinsed completely then I layed her on her belly so she would lift her head and look up at me. When she did that, I had the blowdryer set on cool and from a distance would blow dry her neck. I did it for a few days and tried to keep it dry. It healed right up. I also tried to keep a dry thin cloth under there but with her she had more than 1 roll.... :-)

I hope that helps. I know it sounds crazy but getting that area to air dry completely is hard and this is the only thing I could think of.

Good Luck

Connie