Red spots in newborns eyes

How Your Newborn Looks - HealthyChildren.org

As you relax with your new baby, unwrap the blankets and examine your little one from head to toe. You'll notice many details that may have escaped you in the moments after birth:

Eyes

While many Caucasian newborns have blue eyes, this may change over the first year. If a baby's eyes are going to turn brown, they'll probably become "muddy"-looking during the first six months. However, if they're still blue at that time, they'll probably remain this color. In contrast, infants with dark-skinned heritage generally have brown eyes at birth, and tend to retain that color throughout life.

You may notice a blood-red spot in the whites of one or both of your newborn's eyes. This spot, as well as the general puffiness of a newborn's face, is most commonly caused by pressures exerted during labor. Although you might find them a bit worrisome, both tend to fade in a few days. If your baby was delivered by C-section, she may not have this puffiness and the whites of her eyes likely will not have any red spots.

Skin

At birth your baby's skin will seem very delicate. Whether your child is born early, late, or on time, peeling skin is normal and usually requires no treatment. All babies, including those with a dark-skinned heritage, have lighter-appearing skin at birth. This gradually darkens as they become older.

As you examine your baby's shoulders and back, you may notice fine hair, called lanugo. This hair is produced toward the end of pregnancy; however, it's usually shed before birth or soon thereafter. If your baby was born before her due date, she is more likely to still have this hair, and it may take a couple of weeks to disappear.

You also may notice various spots and marks on your baby's skin. Some, like those appearing around the diaper edges, may be due to pressure. Mottled or blotchy-looking patches are commonly caused by exposure to cool air and will disappear quickly if you cover her again. If you find scratches, particularly on your baby's face, it's a good reminder it's time to trim her fingernails. For some new parents, this can be a nerve-racking task, so don't hesitate to ask advice from a nurse at the hospital nursery, your pediatrician's office, or anyone else with experience trimming babies' nails.

Head & hair

When born, babies may have an elongated shape of their head, and may also have scalp swelling in the area pushed out first during birth. If you press gently on this area, your finger may even leave a small indentation. This swelling (called "caput") is not serious and should disappear in a few days.

Sometimes there may be swelling under a newborn's scalp, present on one or both sides, which is firm or springs right back after it is gently pressed. This type of swelling is likely a cephalohematoma, and is caused by the intense pressure on the head during labor. While not serious, it represents some bleeding along the outer side of the skull bones—(not inside the brain) and usually takes six to ten weeks to disappear.

All babies have two soft spots, or fontanelles, on the head. These are the areas where the immature bones of the skull are still growing together. The larger opening is toward the front; a smaller one is at the back. Parents needn't be afraid to touch these areas gently, as there is a thick, durable membrane that protects the brain.

Babies are born with hair, but the amount, texture, and color vary from one newborn to another. Most, if not all, "baby hair" falls out during the first six months and is replaced by mature hair. The color and texture of the mature hair may be different from the hair the baby was born with.

Chest & tummy

In the first few weeks following birth, babies can be affected by their mother's hormones they were exposed to during pregnancy. As a result, babies' breasts may be enlarged temporarily, and they might even secrete a few drops of milk. This is normal. It may occur in boys and girls, and normally lasts less than a week, although it can last longer. It is best not to press or squeeze a baby's breasts, since this won't reduce swelling and could cause irritation. In infant girls, there could be a discharge from the vagina, often white mucus and sometimes containing a little blood. Although disconcerting to some new parents, this so-called pseudomenses is harmless.

Your baby's abdomen may seem prominent, and you may even notice a small area that seems to bulge during crying spells. This bulge is called a hernia. Small hernias are most commonly seen around the umbilical cord (belly button) but may also appear in a line down the center of the abdomen.

Diaper area

The genitals of newborn babies can be reddish and seem large for bodies so small. The scrotum of a baby boy may be small and smooth, or it might be large and wrinkled. The testicles can appear to move in and out of the scrotum, and sometimes will move as far up as the base of the penis or even to the crease between the thigh and belly. As long as the testicles are located in the scrotum most of the time, the fact that they move around is normal.

Some boys have a buildup of fluid in a sac called a hydrocele inside the scrotum. This buildup will shrink gradually without treatment over several months as the fluid is reabsorbed by the body. If the scrotum swells suddenly or gets larger when he cries, notify your pediatrician; this could be a sign of an inguinal hernia, which requires treatment.

At birth, a baby boy's foreskin is attached to the head, or glans, of the penis, and cannot be pushed back as it can in older boys and men. There is a small opening at the tip through which urine flows. If the baby is circumcised, the connections between the foreskin and the glans are separated and the foreskin is removed, leaving the head of the penis visible. Without a circumcision, the foreskin will separate from the glans naturally during the first few years.

More information

Baby Birthmarks & Rashes

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Subconjunctival Hemorrhage in Newborns

A subconjunctival hemorrhage in a newborn is a burst blood vessel in the white of the eye. It is one of several different disorders known as “red-eye.” It looks terrifying when a baby has this injury.

The whites of the eyes—called the sclera—are covered with a thin, clear membrane called the bulbar conjunctiva. A subconjunctival hemorrhage ("SCHN") occurs when tiny blood vessels rupture and bleed leaks inside of the conjunctiva. The ruptured vessels appear as a bright red spot on the surface of the eye.

What Causes Subconjunctival Hemorrhages in Infants?

Subconjunctival hemorrhages are somewhat common and can happen to people of all ages. For adults, the cause could be something as simple as coughing too hard. No matter the cause, a sudden change in pressure is what causes the blood vessels to burst. That is why, in some cases, a subconjunctival hemorrhage could be a sign of high blood pressure.

Although they can happen to people of all ages, it is common for newborns to get subconjunctival hemorrhages. Their occurrence is common in infants due to stressful and traumatic deliveries. Changing and forceful pressure during birth can cause eye blood vessels to burst.

Pressure put on the infant by labor contractions and delivery often causes subconjunctival hemorrhages in newborns because pressure forces blood pressure to abruptly rise, pushing blood vessels to the breaking point. High birth weight may put infants at more risk for this kind of injury.

It is also possible that these hemorrhages in newborns occur when OBGYNs exert force while attempting to deliver a baby that is stuck or otherwise in distress during labor and delivery. Subconjunctival hemorrhages are thought to be more likely to occur when certain birthing tools are used, such as forceps or a vacuum extractor.

Finally, if the umbilical cord was tight around the newborn's neck, you will see a greater likelihood of SCHN.

What Are the Symptoms of Subconjunctival Hemorrhages and How Are They Treated?

It is understandably alarming to see a blood spot on your newborn’s eye. Fortunately, this is the only symptom of common subconjunctival hemorrhages. You are often seeing a baby with a bloodshot eye. In a standard case, there is no pain or complications caused by the condition.

Over the course of a week or two, the sclera will absorb the red blood cells and the mark will disappear. If your baby’s eye turns yellow as the blood vessels heal, there is no cause for alarm, as this is a normal part of the healing process.

The best thing that you can do as a parent is to keep an eye on the red spot as it heals. As it heals, the eye may itch occasionally, which can be treated with over-the-counter eye drops.

Should You Be Concerned About a Subconjunctival Hemorrhage in a Newborn?

As dreadful as a subconjunctival hemorrhage looks, it is almost always harmless. Ultimately, subconjunctival hemorrhages are a fairly common and nonthreatening occurrence in newborn infants. As long as you monitor the healing process of your baby’s eye and look out for any strange symptoms, your baby should be healed in no more than a week or two.

Still, keep an eye on it and keep your pediatrician in the loop. There is an extremely rare risk of more serious complications, such as cranial hematomas, are not developing. In some extremely rare cases, SCHN may lead to some permanent eye damage. Treatment for these cases will depend on the severity of the condition.

If your child shows symptoms of a serious complication, you should contact your healthcare provider or an opthalmologist immediately. These symptoms include:

Signs of an eye infection, e.g. pus or thick discharge, redness, swelling, fever
Blood located anywhere other than the whites of the eyes
Changes in or problems with your child’s vision
Significant eye pain

You should also know that even if the SCHN is not a concern by itself, it is a marker more serious birth injuries because a co-traveler with SCHN is often a traumatic birth.

Further Reading

Birth-related subconjunctival and retinal haemorrhages in the Newborn Eye Screening Test (NEST) Cohort by Marco H. Ji, et. al, Eye, 2019.

This study argues that the medical literature has exaggerated the degree to which these eye hemorrhages are linked to birth trauma. The authors believe this complication is more likely caused by chest compression when the infant passes the birth canal with a sudden increase of venous pressure in the baby's neck and head.

This Stanford study compared subconjunctival and retinal hemorrhages. The findings were that retinal hemorrhages are more associated with the use of tools like forceps. But, again, contrary to the literature, they found subconjunctival hemorrhages are more associated with high birth weights that cause the chest to compress during delivery, suddenly increasing blood vessel pressure in the neck and head. Nine percent of newborns had SCHN in the study.

Lip and Face Edema Due to Face Presentation by Hülya Özdemir et al., The Journal of Pediatric Research, 2018.

This case study explains how childbirth trauma can cause injuries to the face. The text briefly explains that SCHN can occur as a result of nasal septum dislocation or pressure from the mother’s symphysis pubis or sacral promontorium.

Prevalence and Causes of Subconjunctival Hemorrhage in Children by Alomi O. Parikh, et al., Pediatrics, 2020.

This cross-sectional study looked at subconjunctival hemorrhage’s prevalence and causes in children. The researchers’ data comprised over 33,000 children who visited pediatric ophthalmologists over 86,000 times in four years. They identified 949 subconjunctival hemorrhage cases. Eye surgery caused 636 of these cases. The researchers also found that non-surgical causes included trauma, ocular surface inflammation, conjunctival lesions, and choking or coughing-induced vessel ruptures.

Subconjunctival Hemorrhage in a Child with the Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome on Treatment with Oral Propranolol by Karen De Loecker, et al. , Case Reports in Ophthalmology, 2021.

This case report looked at a 3-year-old boy with blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome (BRBNS). He developed subconjunctival hemorrhaging in his left eye while taking oral propranolol. An underlying vascular malformation caused his subconjunctival hemorrhaging. He treated the condition with topical timolol maleate. The boy’s symptoms resolved after four months. The researchers recommended that children with BRBNS undergo ophthalmic screening. They also concluded that topical beta-blockers could treat BRBNS-related subconjunctival hemorrhaging.

Subconjunctival hemorrhages in infants and children: a sign of nonaccidental trauma by Catherine DeRidder et al., Pediatric Emergency Care, 2013.

This study explains that, sadly, subconjunctival hemorrhages are sometimes caused by intentional trauma, or in other words, child abuse. The condition can be caused by things like pressure to the chest and strangulation. When doctors diagnose SCHN, child abuse should be on their list of potential causes.

Redness of the eyes in children

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Stork sting.

What are newborn mothers afraid of? Society news

Any seemingly insignificant change in the baby's condition can frighten the newly-made mother and father. Although sometimes nothing really bad happens. In the first month of life, neonatologists observe babies. It is on them that a flurry of parental fears falls.

“There is such a thing as a transient state of newborns. This is an intermediate period between the time when the child was in the mother's womb and the time when he begins to settle down outside, says Lina Komisar . - When a woman who has given birth asks: “How is the baby?”, We answer: “He is in the period of adaptation.” A transient state is not a diagnosis, not a disease! This condition is also called borderline, since with defects in care or a breakdown in adaptation, it can turn into a pathological one. Therefore, neonatologists daily, and sometimes twice a day, examine children in the neonatal department.”

Body weight

“Sometimes mothers tell doctors: “My baby has lost weight. Probably because he didn't eat." But this happens not only for this reason. In the first three days, the child receives only a small amount of colostrum and, due to a lack of total fluid volume, loses weight. nine0003

In addition, at this time, the umbilical residue dries up and the original feces are excreted, due to which the baby also loses grams.

Lina Komisar / Photo: Natalya Malyihina

Jaundice

“I can say right away that if a child develops jaundice, this is not a consequence of hepatitis B vaccination, as some parents believe.

There is a special kind of jaundice that occurs only in newborns.

Pathological jaundice occurs with Rh conflicts, liver dysfunction, infections and other abnormalities. It is very rare. nine0003

Physiological jaundice begins due to the difference between the hemoglobin of the fetus and the child who has already been born. In a newborn, fetal hemoglobin breaks down, transforming, among other things, into bilirubin. But due to the fact that the baby's liver is immature (this organ is formed before the age of five), it does not have time to utilize this bilirubin. Here the child turns yellow. If certain indicators are not exceeded, this condition does not require special treatment. Bilirubin will be excreted naturally. nine0003

One child may turn yellow on the second day, the other on the fifth. Jaundice disappears from the beginning of the second to the end of the third week, sometimes it can last up to a month.

Hyperthermia

“It happens that the baby turns red, screams, and the mother cannot calm him down. This is due to the immature nervous system and thermoregulation center. Roughly speaking, babies accept the temperature of the environment: they dressed warmly - overheated, opened - cooled down.

If the child's temperature is above 37.5°, you need to untie and bathe him, remove the diaper and just keep him in a thin diaper. And everything will pass. Antipyretics are prescribed only in very rare cases. nine0003

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Sexual crisis

“On the third or fourth day, the external genitalia of girls increase, the scrotum of boys swells. In children, the mammary glands may increase, there will be discharge from them. Girls can also have false periods, which is especially frightening for mothers. This is not scary, because every child receives a lot of hormones during pregnancy and childbirth. Everything will go by itself."

Physiological dysbacteriosis

“Mother calls me to the ward with the words: “My child has diarrhea, what should I do? This is probably because of the antibiotics that they inject me!” No, it's not because of the antibiotics. This is a transition chair.

The baby is born with sterile intestines. During the first day of life, after being applied to the mother's breast, it is populated by the maternal microflora. The sterile intestine reacts to lacto- and bifidobacteria. It's not a disease."

Skin problems

“Most of the time mothers ask why the baby is so red. So, red is the physiological color of the skin in the first three days. The protective lubricant was removed from the baby, and his skin is thin, and the capillaries are close. In fact, it is very good that the baby is red, and not some other color. nine0003

It happens that a child develops white pimples on his nose, chin and cheeks. Some mothers are very worried when they are discharged: “God, I have a photo session, what should I do?! Why is he so ugly!” Don't worry, you have a beautiful baby! He just has thin skin and no subcutaneous fat layer. In the area of the face, he has clogged immature sebaceous glands. Nothing needs to be done about it.

Some babies have red spots on the forehead, eyelids and back of the head. People say that redness in front is the kiss of an angel, and behind it is the bite of a stork, that is, the bird took the baby by the neck and carried it to the parents. They also say that these are birthmarks, but this is not so. These are pathologically dilated capillaries. Up to a year they will pass, but they will appear in the heat, with screaming and crying. All of these are not diagnoses either.” nine0003

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Toxic erythema

“If the baby is covered with pimples, most likely it is toxic erythema - a transitional skin condition. It can be caused by toxicosis in the mother, disorders of the endocrine system, the mother taking certain drugs, heredity.

The rash resolves on its own. It has a migratory character: it disappeared on the arm, appeared on the leg. You just need to keep the baby dry and not overheat it.” nine0003

Urinary crisis

“It happens that on the first day the baby does not pee. This is fine. He can urinate at the end of the first day or on the second day. In the first three days, he will go to the toilet a little, but then the diapers will be wet four to six times a day.